6: 2025 BSSS Episode 6: Finding Voice, Building Futures — Conversations with Samantha, Raquel, Uyia, Ayman, and Cy

6: 2025 BSSS Episode 6: Finding Voice, Building Futures — Conversations with Samantha, Raquel, Uyia, Ayman, and Cy

🎙️ Episode 6: Finding Voice, Building Futures — Conversations with Samantha, Raquel, Uyia, Ayman, and Cy Black Student Success Summit Podcast In this episode, host Morgan Jones engages in a dynamic conversation with five inspiring students — Samantha Atama (St. Mary’s Academy), Raquel Nelson (Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School), Uyia Etuk (Pearson Online Academy), Ayman Tazo (Valley Catholic High School), and Cy James (McDaniels High School) — recorded live at the 2025 Black Student Success Summit at Portland State University. The discussion journeys through their experiences as Black students navigating identity, leadership, and future aspirations. From joining school Black Student Unions and finding community to exploring diverse career paths — law, nursing, entrepreneurship, medicine, journalism, and the arts — their voices reveal resilience and ambition. They reflect on the power of representation, mentorship, and seizing opportunities, as well as the importance of embracing failure as part of growth. Their stories reveal that success is not linear, and it is shaped by connection, courage, and vision. 🎧 Listen to learn: * How representation and safe spaces empower Black students * The role of community, mentorship, and leadership in shaping dreams * Diverse career paths and the courage to pursue them * Why “fear is equivalent to failure” and the importance of perseverance

5: 2025 BSSS Episode 5: Dreams, Drive, and Discovering Possibilities — Conversations with John, Adamou, and Jacodi

🎙️ Episode 5: Dreams, Drive, and Discovering Possibilities — Conversations with John, Adamou, and Jacodi Black Student Success Summit Podcast In this episode, host Morgan Jones sits down with three inspiring students — John Lewis and Adamou (Roosevelt High School), and Jacodi Styles (Southridge High School) — for an open and heartfelt conversation recorded live at the 2025 Black Student Success Summit at Portland State University. They share candid perspectives on life as Black students balancing academics, athletics, and future aspirations. From pursuing college lacrosse and a career in the FBI, to exploring trades, engineering, and interior design, their stories reveal ambition intertwined with resilience. They discuss how mentorship, mental health awareness, and community spaces shape their journeys. Together, they reflect on the importance of staying engaged, following passions, and finding opportunities that empower them to grow. Through laughter, personal stories, and honest reflection, these students remind us that success is more than a destination — it’s a path built on self-discovery, purpose, and support. 🎧 Listen to learn: * How student-athletes balance academics, sports, work, and life * The role of mentorship and community in shaping youth aspirations * The power of representation and support in Black educational spaces

4: 2025 BSSS Episode 4: Voices, Visions, and Choices — Conversations with Khalya, Anaya, Octavia, Saniyah, Filsun, and Faisal

🎙️ Episode 4: Voices, Visions, and Choices — Conversations with Khalya, Anaya, Octavia, Saniyah, Filsun, and Faisal Black Student Success Summit Podcast In this episode, host Morgan Jones sits down with six inspiring young voices — Khalya Jones and Anaya McMurry (McDaniel High School), Octavia Coleman (Seattle), Saniyah Jones (LC Tobias Elementary), Filsun Omer (Westview High School), and Faisal Omer (Westview High School) — for an open and thought‑provoking conversation recorded live at the 2025 Black Student Success Summit at Portland State University. From middle school to senior year, this diverse group shares their unique perspectives on education, ambition, and identity. They discuss the challenges of navigating high school, the excitement of discovering career paths in STEM, law, trades, and healthcare, and the importance of finding purpose and passion in learning. They also reflect on the value of mentorship, family wisdom, and carving a path that aligns with personal goals — even if that path looks different for each student. Through laughter, honest reflections, and thoughtful insights, they show us that success is not one‑size‑fits‑all — it’s about courage, choice, and creating a vision for the future. 🎧 Listen to learn: * How young Black students are exploring diverse career paths, from engineering to law to nursing * The impact of hands‑on learning and mentorship in shaping aspirations * How family, personal values, and life experience influence educational and career decisions

3: 2025 BSSS Episode 3: Voices, Visions, and the Future — Conversations with Shoura and Ruweyda Mohamud

🎙️ Episode 3: Voices, Visions, and the Future — Conversations with Shoura and Ruweyda Mohamud Black Student Success Summit Podcast In this episode, host Morgan Jones sits down with two candid and thoughtful voices from Centennial High School — sisters Shoura (freshman) and Ruweyda Mohamud (junior) — for an engaging conversation recorded live at the 2025 Black Student Success Summit at Portland State University. They speak openly about their high school experience, leadership in the Black Student Union, and the everyday realities of navigating school life — from shifting schedules and field trips to balancing academics with personal passions. The sisters share their evolving dreams, exploring careers in health sciences, law enforcement, psychology, and animation, while also discussing the influence of family expectations and the importance of support systems. Their conversation offers both humor and honesty, revealing what it means to define success on their own terms. 🎧 Listen to learn: * How Black youth engage with leadership and community-building at school * Perspectives on college, scholarships, and career aspirations * The role of family, culture, and curiosity in shaping ambition

2: 2025 BSSS Episode 2: Dreams, Discipline, and the Drive to Win — A Conversation with Jefferson High’s Jehiel Brown

🎙️ Episode 2: Dreams, Discipline, and the Drive to Win — A Conversation with Jefferson High’s Jehiel Brown In this episode, recorded live at the 2025 Black Student Success Summit at Portland State University, host Morgan Jones sits down with Jehiel Brown, a 17-year-old senior at Jefferson High School, to talk about his journey, his goals, and the mindset it takes to chase big dreams. Jehiel opens up about his transfer from Roosevelt to Jefferson, his passion for basketball, and his vision of one day playing for the Portland Trail Blazers — and winning a championship ring for his hometown. He and Morgan discuss the evolving world of college athletics, the power of highlight reels and NIL deals, and the importance of faith, focus, and self-belief. Through Jehiel’s story, we hear not just the voice of a student-athlete, but a young leader learning how to navigate opportunity, discipline, and purpose within Portland’s educational and athletic ecosystems. 🎧 Listen to learn: * What inspires Jehiel to wake up early and stay dedicated to his craft * How social media and self-promotion have reshaped the college recruitment game * The lessons of legacy, mentorship, and mental discipline for young Black athletes