Any chance I get, you’ll hear me say it loud and proud: I’m just a kid from Akron. And I say that because of the roots, the support, and the love my city has always given me. From my earliest days growing up in those streets, the community wrapped its arms around me. My mom and I had our challenges, but the people I was lucky to have around me would not let me fail.

I want to do everything I can to be that for my kids in Akron coming up behind me who have incredible futures ahead of them.