Life includes numerous challenges for nearly everyone. 

     Aleanya Moore has experienced and overcome such challenges: having a mother addicted to drugs, growing up without a father and having an overall lack of foundation for her future. Moore was able to move past her complications to graduate college and gain her master’s degree, create a foundation to mentor young girls, join Delta Sigma Theta Sorority inc and win Ms. Black Midwest USA.

     Moore spoke to juniors and seniors on Feb. 16 during the school day about their futures in college or other avenues. She gave advice, spoke of her struggles and explained how she was able to persevere and create a positive life for herself and her daughter.

     Moore grew up with her grandmother as her guardian because her mother had a drug addiction, and her father was not present. She explained the lack of support led to not having “the social and emotional support I needed as a child.”

     When Moore was in high school, she had a 1.7 GPA and was not very dedicated to her studies. She kept her grades up to participate in Basketball and Track. When it came to attending university, many colleges did not accept her because of her GPA.

     Moore was accepted into the University of Cincinnati on academic probation. She had to receive a 2.0 during her first quarter; otherwise, she would be sent away. She achieved this feat and graduated from college after five years.

     She warned against ignoring academic responsibilities when attending college. She had seen people around her, including her roommate, fail out of college.

     “Many people got to campus and partied it up, and they failed. They flunked out of college,” Moore explained.

     Moore emphasized the importance of not letting certain events define who you are. She explained that despite her challenging childhood, she was able to create success for herself.

     Being the first person in her family to attend college, Moore felt she was taking her destiny into her own hands. 

     “I’m the person that can change the trajectory of my bloodline,” Moore said.

     Many people fear the shift from high school to college, and Moore acknowledged that the change can be a scary experience. She also spoke on how failure is not as common as many think.

     “If you fall and get back up, that’s not failure,” Moore stated.

     Moore warned against going into a career field based solely on income. She admitted that numerous people around her did not think of their passions when choosing their career. Moore chose to be an educator because she was passionate about it, and she is currently the dean of students at a charter school in Indianapolis.

     “I love what I do to the point that if I didn’t get paid, it would still be an honor to me,” Moore said.

     Moore explained that even if the students were unsure of what they were passionate about, they could take general classes to prepare themselves for the other classes they would need to take for their major. She also recommended that each person find a mentor in their chosen field of study and learn from them.

     Along with following passions, Moore encourages students to think of what truly speaks to them and not what their parents want from them. 

      “Sometimes what you want to do may go against your parent’s views and goals,” Moore stated.

     Moore divides her life into chapters, and she gives each chapter of her life a title: high school was endurance, college was assigned tenacity and her 2007 chapter was titled courageousness.

     She invited students to the stage to speak of what chapter they are currently experiencing.

     Senior Noah Brown explained he is in his transition chapter: “Before coming to Stow, I was in a not-so-great area.”

     Brown discussed how he is doing better now that he is experiencing this chapter. Other students described their chapters of learning, healing, perseverance and sisterhood. Each student is experiencing different things, this is evident through their chapter titles.

     Moore was able to become something she never thought possible. When she was in high school, she had no belief in herself, but she transformed her struggles into something greater, something that helped her overcome her complications.

     Moore is currently a PhD student and will compete for Ms. Black USA in August. She has also written four books. Her accomplishments are impressive, and she would have been unable to achieve them without believing in herself.

     Moore left the students with a piece of advice: “Don’t be afraid to be the eagle that is going to soar over others.”