2024 Fellows

Agzja Carey was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Being a community activist since age 13, she has developed a unique insight into the power and legacy of grassroots organizing. Due to the high murder rate impacting the Black community, Carey was inspired to found Street Bid'naz, in Oakland, California. She brought her organization to Washington, DC, when she was accepted to Howard University. She then mobilized Howard students to engage the local community. Carey has received several awards for her activism, and she was named one of Howard University's 21 Most Influential Students. After graduation, Carey relocated to Baltimore, to join the Executive Leadership team at Target in Mondawmin where she hired, trained, and developed countless Baltimore City residents. Carey was appointed as the Community Captain where she oversaw the store's social impact initiatives, with an emphasis on early childhood literacy. Recognizing that her passion still resided in youth-centered direct service, Carey decided to pivot into teaching. She joined Teach for America and taught third and fifth grade at Beechfield Elementary/Middle and Rosemont Elementary schools. Carey’s held many non-profit leadership positions where she ran high-quality programming for Black and Brown youth. She served as the Race Equity Education Policy Advocate at Baltimore Community Foundation and, most recently, the Director of Social Impact at Business Volunteers Maryland. Carey decided to scale and accelerate her impact by pursuing her social enterprises full-time. She is the President & CEO of a Black-led consulting firm, The Culture Connect Group, and is also the Founder of an education nonprofit, Crayons & Culture.  Carey is the proud mother of a 10-year-old daughter and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Carey says her ideal future career would be a full-time community activist who affects transformative and scalable change on behalf of Black people. 

For the last nine years, Alexander Long has worked with Baltimore City’s Safe Streets gun violence reduction program in the McElderry Park community. Despite his efforts, Long’s younger sister Ashley was shot and killed on April 29, 2017. Long started the non-profit, Ashley’s Garden in her honor. In addition, Long has operated Team Redemption Boxing, a non-profit boxing gym in the McElderry Park community where more than 500 children and youth who face gun violence trauma daily have been mentored and trained since its opening in 2015.  The gym provides a safe space where the children and youth can build themselves up mentally and physically while also being able to unload the day-to-day frustrations built from living and in an underserved underprivileged community. The shooting of Long’s sister was featured in the 2018 documentary Charm City, which discussed efforts to curb gun violence in Baltimore and showcased him as a youth organizer for the Rose Street community where Ashley was killed.  Long has mediated over 400 situations in the McElderry Park community that all had the potential to lead to gun violence.  Long has served on the Community Advisory Board for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and in 2017 he was named a fellow of the Open Society Institute. Long has taken his message to various organizations through three speaking engagements on West Coast, including University of California, Berkeley, Blanc et Rouge and Embarcadero. Long plans to turn his Team Redemption Boxing gym into a full-service recreation center with the goal of training community members mentally and physically while providing the basic resources that’s needed.   

Curtis Warren holds a bachelor’s in Sociology and Criminal Justice as well as a master’s in Addictions/Mental Health. Warren is passionate about working with marginalized populations, including African American men and boys, veterans, and returning citizens who were previously incarcerated and are struggling with substance abuse disorders. Warren co-founded Brothers Helping Brothers, a support group that provides anger management, counseling, and mental health services for men and boys in Baltimore. Warren worked as a Manager of Support Services, leading a team of case managers providing comprehensive services. As a Case Manager/Mobility Coach he provided goal planning, treatment planning, coaching, and referral services to unemployed, homeless, substance abusers, and mental health clients. Warren was also a Clinical Case Manager. Warren has experience in project management, managing the deployment of an IT-based manufacturing shop management program. Prior to Warren’s work in social services, he served as a tutor, providing one-on-one and group tutoring to inmates. As a Project Manager/Physical Security Specialist, he managed projects of physical security and developed security programs. Warren is a certified peer specialist and certified peer specialist supervisor, further demonstrating his commitment to supporting individuals in their journey toward recovery and empowerment. In the future, Warren hopes to be the director of his own program that creates a safe and nurturing environment for individuals to heal, grow, and thrive. 

Deitra Williams retired from the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) in September 2023, after over 20 years of dedicated service as a Community Detention Officer III / C.D. Court Liaison/Adjunct Trainer. Her work spans various communities throughout Maryland, including Baltimore, Harford, Howard, Carroll, and Cecil counties, and Baltimore City. Affectionately referred to by community members as Coach Dei, she wasted no time returning to serve youth and families by becoming a Personal Development Trainer and leader of the Mentoring Program at Each 1 Save 1 LLC. Williams's positive attitude and cheerful personality, combined with her advanced training and hands-on experience, have allowed her to build impactful relationships with youth, families, schools, court systems, community leaders, and various partners. Having effectively trained and implemented various skills development programs at DJS, Williams is now ready to serve youth and families on a broader scale. Williams is currently helping to bridge the gap in Balitmore by creating " The Bridge the Gap Commitee of Maryland which is a host of active transformational leader/business owners and organizations with a passions to provide wrap around services for the youth and the families. Some of the services provided are but not limited too personal development training/program, financial awareness/management, mindfulness, job navigation, millennial interviewing, and emergency prepareness skills. Williams is dedicated to empowering and buiding relationships with families, community organizers, city officials and schools to help implement change first through relationships building. 

LaShone Croom, known in Baltimore as "Mama Ngina,” which means “the one who serves,” has dedicated the past 18 years to serving Baltimore City and surrounding communities. She is the founder of Egbe Oya Women's Rites of Passage and has authored 11 books. Croom also wrote the short film "Orisa Soul," which follows one man’s quest to find his destiny and is a talented jewelry maker. Her travels to over 12 countries on three continents have given her a deep appreciation for global unity, which she brings back to Baltimore. Co-founder of Nsoroma Academy, a holistic private school, Croom devoted 15 years to the endeavor, donating half of her salary to support underprivileged families. She aims to create an inclusive learning environment for Black and Brown students from marginalized neighborhoods through culturally rooted educational experiences, such as Umoja circles with meditation, dance, drumming, affirmations, and nourishing breakfasts. Croom’s role as a community advocate and event organizer has seen her coordinating cultural celebrations, blessing way ceremonies, back-to-school giveaways, and initiatives focused on women's holistic wellness. She is a strong advocate of restorative practices and healing-centered care, offering support to women in their healing journeys and fostering community solidarity through holistic therapeutic processes. As a social entrepreneur and cultural community engagement developer, Croom is passionate about addressing the needs of marginalized communities, with a particular focus on black women and families. She continues this important work as the Cultural Engagement Director of the Urban Youth Initiative Project. 

Minju Zukowski currently works in the Community Health and Social Impact department at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. He spent five years at the 29th Street Community Center, transitioning from Assistant Program Manager to Program Manager and Director, overseeing a team of eight in executing 20+ weekly programs for over 400 community members. Through Zukowski's strategic efforts, the Center was awarded the largest grant in its history, which enabled the development of structured after-school and year-round youth employment programs, exceeding enrollment targets by over 100%, as well as enrolling 93% of participants in postsecondary education and employment. He cultivated relationships with stakeholders, corporations, and institutions to raise the most funding the Center has received in its nine-year history. After nine years of fiscal sponsorship, this collaboration enabled the organization to transition to 501(c)(3) nonprofit. As a Program and Operations Associate at D-Prize, Zukowski oversaw the philanthropic investment process for global social venture competitions and increased applications by nearly 70%. Awarded a Global Health Corps fellowship, which accepts less than 2% of candidates worldwide, he completed a year-long leadership program focused on social determinants of health and health equity in Malawi. As an organizer, he organized seven large-scale events, led workshops for over 1,500 participants, and collaborated with dozens of organizations to organize events focused on social justice. In his first year, Zukowski served as an AmeriCorps member at City Year Washington, DC, providing academic and behavioral assistance to students from underserved communities at a southeast DC elementary school. Besides earning a bachelor's in business administration from Towson University, Zukowski was also awarded the Twenty Tigers in Their Twenties Award. 

Renee Webber graduated from The Community College of Baltimore County with an associate degree in applied science/health and Fitness. Additionally, she attended Morgan State University, where she studied Nutrition. Webber has a business and works to help businesses positively impact society. One of Webber's notable accomplishments is the establishment of The Queen's Sisterhood Society, LLC (QSS). As founder and president of this non-collegiate sisterhood and investment club, she has successfully created a community that promotes lifetime bonds, financial literacy, business-building, and empowerment within the African diaspora. Aside from her role as President of QSS, Webber has held numerous leadership positions, including President of the International League of Families, Inc. and Vice President of Aquarian Hotel Investment Club, LLC. Webber's work aims to revitalize the lives of her family, friends, and the community and use creative means to increase Black wealth and financial literacy. Webber has also focused on health and wellness. She is co-owner and lead chef for Ashe Cafe and Bakery, which promotes healthy eating. She also has launched a salon and spa to increase awareness of holistic health and wellness. Webber hopes to lead a nonprofit that focuses on solving personal development and quality of living. 

Salima Rabb earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. She is the President of PJC Construction Co., LLC. Rabb established PJC Construction in 1999, after working for a family-owned construction company for several years. Rabb has extensive knowledge in contracting, construction, business management, and workforce development. As President of PJC, Rabb is responsible for contract writing, office management, and human resources. In addition, Rabb has served in various field positions within the company, gaining first-hand knowledge of the diverse aspects of the construction industry. Among Rabb's core principles is the belief that a well-trained workforce is crucial to the success of the construction industry. Throughout Rabb's career, she has witnessed the transformative power of teaching construction trade skills to individuals. In addition, these skills also offer them an asset that lasts for a lifetime. The growing demand for skilled workers in construction prompted Rabb to make training a holistic process, emphasizing that it is not just about imparting technical skills but also about nurturing the whole person at the physical and mental level. Rabb is passionate about the integration of financial wellness and mental health support systems and plans to pursue a career combining community-based education, mental health support, and sustainable building design.  

Samuel Patterson who is known in the community as “Yarah Yaahla,” taught for Baltimore City Schools for 15 years including roles at Gwynns Falls Elementary, Liberty Elementary, and New Song Academy. During Patterson's time as a teacher, he specialized in both science and social studies. He earned his bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Coppin State University in 2008 and his master's degree in STEM education from Walden University in 2020. In his role as a teacher, Patterson established strong relationships with colleagues, students, parents, and community members. Patterson hopes to open an elementary and middle school in Baltimore City that targets challenging boys between the ages of 9-14 (4th-8th grade), who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods. At this school, boys will learn practical career-building skills and real-world relationship skills. In addition to building a business, they will also learn about financial responsibility and self-care. These skills ultimately will help them build families and communities and link up with like-minded people of similar communities to make a global connection to bring about change in our world. 

Veronica Parker received her bachelor's degree in social work at UMBC and her Master of Social Work at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She also earned a Master of Science in Yoga Therapy from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Parker brings a depth of experience and expertise in Yoga and Meditation that spans more than a decade. She is a dedicated practitioner of Yoga and blends Yoga, psychology, meditation, and self-care strategies to strengthen emotional balance and improve the overall health and well-being of others. Parker offers Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness classes throughout Baltimore and works in community settings such as schools and libraries, as well as prominent institutions like MD Anderson Cancer Center. Whether in-person or virtually, Parker’s teachings have impacted children, families, couples, and aging adults alike. As a military spouse, Parker had the opportunity to live in numerous places throughout the US and Europe, giving her a global perspective. Additionally, the oldest of Parker’s four sons was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism spectrum disorder, and following this diagnosis, Parker decided to teach all four of her children at home for six years before they returned to mainstream education. Parker’s ideal future career is one where she is affecting change in the social determinants of health in all areas of wellness and social welfare. She hopes to collaborate, consult, and operate independently within schools, institutions, and hospitals, as well as research and public policy domains. Parker would like to assist in optimizing quality of life by providing accessible and equitable services that cultivate whole-person care and healing through supportive integrative therapies.

Wesley D. Hawkins, a retired correctional officer, business owner, property manager, and author of the book "Dear Nolita," which he wrote in honor of his mother, is the CEO of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Nolita Project. The organization provides mentors to underprivileged youth in Baltimore. Hawkins graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Baltimore and earned a master’s in education from Trinity Washington University. As a single parent to his adopted younger brother, Elijah, he demonstrates his commitment to family and community. Hawkins is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and exemplifies unwavering dedication to personal and community growth amidst challenges. Known for his exceptional leadership skills, whether inspiring audiences in public forums or through leading by example, he aspires to sow the seeds of empowerment for the upcoming generation. His passion lies in becoming a globally recognized public speaker with a mission to address trauma, crime, and violence. Through bridging the gap between individuals of wealth, influence, and leadership, he aims to foster a deeper understanding of the struggles faced by underprivileged communities.