Edwina Ward is a graduate student seeking her masters in cross disciplinary studies. One day she hopes to be an ambassador on a global level. With her trip to a United Nations assembly in January, she “hopes to see what options that will bring” for her long term career goals.
If someone would have told me years ago that at this very moment, I would be a first year student in NSU’s Master of Arts Cross Disciplinary Studies program, a young philanthropist, a community organizer, and a global icon, I would have chuckled.
Since a very young age, I knew that I wanted to be a leader, to serve others, and to think outside the box, while giving back to my community. While watching a TV program called “Feed the Children” on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), I quickly realized my ultimate passion was to help others.
After watching the hungry young children, I told my mother that I wanted her to adopt all the hungry children and bring them to our house so that I can feed them. At the age of 8, I clearly was living in a world not worried about logistics behind that grand request. All I wanted to do was share love and my support.
Growing up as a young woman, most of the people I admired came from my family of local and global leaders. Today, it is because of their story that I am able to write my story.
On my first day of ninth grade at Piper High, I made a personal commitment to love my school enough to leave a legacy behind. After much hard work and determination, I became Student Government Association president during my senior year. The election was one of the most rewarding experiences, as my campaign slogan was “The best is yet to come!”
As I began to find my path, I would casually sit with my father to listen to his words of encouragement, such as, if you want to be successful or have the best possible life, first be adaptable to change, second learn to listen before you speak and third always associate yourself with leaders who can help you to grow.
After I completed high school, I went to Broward College’s north campus and was again elected Student Government Association president. During that time, I also served on the state team of the Florida Junior Community Colleges Student Government Association as District 1 coordinator.
As time progressed, I quickly began to find college mentors and people who had my best interest at heart. While attending Broward College, I applied for an internship with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and was accepted with a full scholarship award to the program in Washington, D.C.
During the internship, my class witnessed the beginning of a historical change, as the first class of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to hear the announcement of then-Senator Barack Obama share his quest to run for president. This moment was inspiring, as he sat down and talked about why he wanted to make a difference. Today, as he’ll soon begin his second term of the presidency, I am proud to know I was apart of such rich history.
The internship experience afforded me the opportunity to actively participate in the daily operations of our legislative branch, foster new friendships with classmates from different states, and enhance my listening and leadership skills, while seeing the world from a brand-new lens.
Shortly after my internship experience in the office of Alcee Hastings, U.S. representative for Florida’s 23rd congressional district, I suddenly wanted to explore the world.
So, without hesitation, I moved from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to Nashville, Tenn. I attended Fisk University, a prestigious institution, pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in History.
While at Fisk, I constantly thought about a leader whom I admired greatly because of his story, his leadership, and his message, “I am the me I choose to be.” This was the mantra of the legendary Sir Sidney Poitier, the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. In 2009, Poitier received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama.
That same year, I was accepted to attend a global leadership program called the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, as a student ambassador from the U.S. This trip opened my eyes to new horizons, new thinking, and a new global platform.
On my way home from Berlin, Germany, my life changed tremendously and I began to live out my dreams of designing a non-profit foundation, which I called Leaders Recognizing Leaders. The foundation’s mission is to reshape the mindset of young people for community service, educational development, and global communication in local, national, and international communities. The organization focuses on helping young people become leaders within their high schools and communities, and to become young diplomats.
Nevertheless, none of this story would have been possible without my spiritual guidance that kept me focused, the love of family and my own drive and motivation to keep moving forward.
Other notable global leaders who I have had the privilege of either meeting or working with include, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Madam Leymah Ghowee, CNN hero Marie Di Silvia from Malawi, Africa, Prime Minister of the Bahamas Hon. Perry G. Christie, civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis, United Nations Deputy Director for Public Engagement Sir Ramu Damodaran, and global motivational speaker and author, Les Brown.
