AT&T Rising Future Makers #5 (ft. Iyana Beachem)

Nyla Symone interviews Iyana Beachem, a 3rd year student attending Fayetteville State University, to discuss the importance of an HBCU education and how the Rising Future Maker program is shaping her future.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
What's up, guys. This is Nihlis Samon with AT and
T Rising Future Makers, presented by AT and T Dreaming Black.
We're talking with Black creators who are shaping the now,
the new, and the next for culture this season. Charlie
Man of God has passed me the mic to get
to know some HBCU students that are on the rise.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
My name is Diana Beecham. I'm a junior at d
FED the State University, and I am an interdisciplinary studies
major with the concentration in race and public health.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Tell us the top three things you wish more folks
knew about the value of an HBCU experience.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Oh, of course I can. Starting with the diversity. There's
so many different kinds of Black people and of Black culture.
Second one, the networking, and last thing is the enrichment.
Warning who you are is very difficult, and going to HBCU,
especially as a Black woman, I'm able to find out
who I am without criticism or without fear.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yes, I love that. What does it mean to you
to be recognized as a AT and T Rising Future Maker?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
It's honestly mind blowing. I often tell people like I
feel like I'm on a mountaintop, and I see the
other places where I'm trying to get at. I just
don't know how to get this mountain top to that mountaintop.
But being recognized as rising future maker made that far
go away a little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
Do you have a mentor who has changed your life?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
I do have a few of them. Ricardo Morgan, Jeffrey Womble,
those these are people in my Queen Committee because I
was recently crowned as the Stayble State University. Also, Elena Kelly,
she's my Stora at my church. She helps me spiritually
with mentorship.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
I love all my mentors.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
What's your future maker mantra?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
I'll pull up quote from Daraja Beans and this guy's
not the layman, it's only the view.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Shout out to you, Ayana for joining me. Thank you
so much.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
To connect with innovators and creators like the rising future
Makers who Dream in Black. Visit att dot com, slash
dream and Black, and keep listening to hear their stories
only on the Black Effect podcast network, Dream Black