Story by DCLI media intern, Kenraylee Carr
August 1st, 2022- DCLI is short for the Jerry J. Dawson Civic Leadership Institute.
“The mission of the DCLI program is to encourage students to pursue career options that benefit our community,” Dr. Juanita Morris, DCLI coordinator said. “DCLI focuses on five pillars: law enforcement, healthcare, government, entrepreneurship, and education.”
My journey as a DCLI participant first began when Dr. Morris invited me to join her and a few others to meetings to plan out multiple programs for the Institute. From there, I just so happened to become the innovator of the Young Ladies Only Leadership program.
This is a program where a group of young women are working collectively to solve problems, such as gang violence and drug use, that pose a threat to our community. We occasionally join together with the Young Men’s Only Leadership program, who are working on similar issues.
In addition to being an innovator of the Young Ladies Only Leadership program, I have also been given the opportunity to work at Neuhoff Media as an intern. Throughout the internship, I have gotten to cover events such as the Rap Rewind concert at the Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater. At the concert, I took pictures of the celebrities performing on stage, as well as the fans.
I have also shadowed Neuhoff producers, and operated the board as the producers helped me. I have talked on air during Fuego, one of the 5 p.m. shows.
All of my experiences in the DCLI program led to me doing the opening and welcome for the DCLI awards ceremony, where students were recognized for their accomplishments in the program.
I wouldn’t have been able to speak at the ceremony without the support of the people around me, such as Dr. Juanita Morris, my mom, and producer/reporter Dominique Bates-Smith. My fellow media interns, Traymar Brown, who is my cousin, and Parnell Jr, who is my brother, had a role in the program as well. Parnell and Traymar created a music playlist for the ceremony. Traymar also made the closing remarks.
I have been able to have so many amazing experiences throughout this program. DCLI has been able to make so many lives better, including mine, and will continue to do so. I, for one, can’t wait to see how much change comes as more people join us in the coming years.
