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Danijah Davis didn’t come to ���������ƽ�� without ambition. She came ready to work. What the Organizational Leadership program gave her was something even more powerful: clarity. That clarity began in the classroom.

“If I were to describe organizational leadership, I would describe it as the understanding of how you want to be as a leader,” Danijah said. “It was inside of the organizational leadership classroom that taught me more about myself and what I needed to improve on to be the type of leader that inspired me growing up.”

A Chicago West Side native, volunteering at her church helped her see what energized her most. “I really do enjoy putting in the effort to help others. That's why I chose my major.”

Choosing ���������ƽ�� was equally intentional. “I originally got my associate degree because as my mom likes to say, I’m a penny-pincher. I try to save as much as I can,” she explained. For Danijah, “it was more affordable to attend a two-year college first and then transfer to a four-year university.” After receiving her associate’s, she set out to find that four-year university. “After that, I was looking at places where their values aligned with mine.” ���������ƽ��’s mission of social justice and its proximity to home ultimately made her decision clear.

Her drive to attend college was shaped by something deeper. “If I'm being totally honest, what inspired me to go to college was looking around and seeing everyone working paycheck-to-paycheck. I didn't like seeing how stressed everyone was, and I knew I didn't want that from my future.”

At ���������ƽ��, that motivation turned into momentum.

In Dr. Deb Orr’s classroom, Danijah began refining her leadership style and understanding how she shows up in professional spaces. “Dr. Orr is one of my favorite people,” she said. Through coursework and reflection, she gained clarity about the kind of leader she wants to be. “I’ve learned that my leadership style is more collaborative. I don't want to be the authority figure. I want to collaborate and for everybody to feel safe to share their ideas.” 

Danijah first made an impression on Dr. Orr, at the Women in Business International Women's Day Brunch.  She brought such attention to detail and focus to this event,” Orr says. “From the excellent speakers to the table decorations, Danijah executed her vision.” Dr. Orr continues, “We have had classes together and later she became President of our  club.  I am so proud of her forward thinking, her leadership and what the future has in store for her.”

Those leadership qualities extended beyond academics. “Sometimes, especially as a big sister and the eldest in my household, I feel like I am the authority figure. Realizing that I don't always have to be, especially in a work setting, was wonderful.”

Professor Mike McCauley challenged her to think bigger. After she presented a scholarship fundraising event concept, he told her, “You know, you could actually do this now?” That moment shifted her perspective, and a class project became a viable initiative. Professor McCauley had this to say of his time working with Danijah:

“To me, Danijah represents the very best of ���������ƽ��. While she is smart, diligent, and insightful, the key differentiator is her sense of empathy. In all our (robust!) discussions in class and her coursework, the concern and care for others was a constant thread. I see so much potential in this young woman; I told her to run for office and as always, I said, ‘You Can Do This!’” 

Encouragement extended beyond the classroom. One moment of encouragement happened while Danijah attended a campus event featuring the vice president of the Obama Foundation. She listened, engaged and later introduced herself to the speaker, approaching the event as both a student and an aspiring nonprofit leader.

It wasn’t until afterward that she realized the impression she had made.

“Apparently, I did something that stood out.” Dean of the Heller College of Business Glen Brodowsky later pulled her aside to compliment her initiative and presence. Danijah remembers responding, “Oh, but I was just being myself.” His answer stayed with her: “And yourself is what was stood out.” Dean Brodowsky was already well-aware of Danijah’s capabilities, since Danijah serves as the . 

That moment reinforced something the Organizational Leadership program had already begun to teach her: Authenticity, initiative and thoughtful engagement are leadership qualities in their own right.

For Danijah, the Organizational Leadership program didn’t just clarify her career goals; it gave her the confidence to step fully into them. Today, Danijah is a McNair Scholar with plans to obtain a graduate degree before entering the world of non-profit work.

“I am interested in nonprofit work,” she said. “I do want to learn at a well-established nonprofit before I go out and pursue my own.”

Her long-term vision is rooted in access and opportunity. “The nonprofit that I want to do is geared towards career pathways for teens. I want to be able to identify them and show them that there are other pathways.”

Looking back, her advice to her younger self and other aspiring leaders is simple: “just be yourself.”