Xzavion Stevenson
My name is Xzavion Stevenson. I’m a 17 year old senior at Inderkum High School, intending to attend a State University in the Fall of 2016. Throughout my high school years, I volunteered at different community events. I was a part of H.O.P.E, played baseball, ran track and currently, I am a part of the varsity football team that’s undefeated. Since my junior year, I’ve been taking Advanced Placement classes to prepare myself for college. I express myself in a creative sense through music, songwriting and music production. In 2014, I also was accepted into the Disney Dreamers Academy hosted by Steve Harvey.
During my time with the 2015 class of YEA, I was able to obtain knowledge that has confidently raised my potential not only as an entrepreneur, but as a young man. Being a part of the program has opened my eyes, to the world with a new perspective that I can achieve anything and become the person I desire to be in life, with goal setting and a high work ethic. YEA instilled a higher sense of maturity, responsibility and character within me. I’ve been shy most of my life until I was encouraged to network within a range of professionals who are involved with the program. By doing so, I was able to meet great mentors such as Aben Hill, Brian Bedford and Elise Schexnayder that I’ve stayed in touch with outside of the program. YEA has provided me with skills that will prepare me for the real world, skills I and other students in the public school system are so thirsty for. Music is my passion and business is necessary. I wish to one day own a management company supporting music artists around the world.
Thank You YEA!
Nosakare Fletcher
Beginning my life after graduating from high school and completing the YEA program was a large transition for me. I was fortunate enough to have a spot lined up at Howard University, a four-year college, but even with a full scholarship- there were several steps I still had to fulfill and boxes I needed to check. In the grand scheme of things, my time in the Young Entrepreneur’s Academy was short, but the things I learned and the things I was exposed to did have a large imprint on my future. Following my tenure with the YEA, I was directly connected with a paid internship with a local company, which gave me much needed experience for my future career path.
Following my internship, I began at Howard University in Washington, D.C., a long way from where I grew up in California. Coming to Howard and beginning my journey has forced me to grow and develop in many ways that I never expected. Not only have I had to make the transition from west coast to east coast, but I’ve had to begin living my life understanding that it is now my time to take care of myself as an adult. That requires me to have a larger hand in managing my time, energy, and resources to ensure I get good grades, while searching for opportunities to further enhance my future after college.
Currently, I have become a proud member of the Howard University mock trial team, where I have the opportunity to represent my university on the national level. I have also gained recognition for my achievement in the Political Science department through the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Department.
Nyasha C. Smith
My name is Nyasha Christine Smith and I am a rising junior at Spelman College majoring in computer science. I participated in the Capital Black Chamber of Commerce’s YEA program during my senior year of high school and I’ve had an entrepreneurial spirit ever since! I plan to use my skills and experience as a computer science major to support my business aspirations. My commitment to my dream is demonstrated by my academic performance. After my first semester of college I made it onto Spelman College’s Dean’s List. I was also offered a summer information technology internship at The Boeing Company and received The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for women in computer science. Furthermore, the fall semester of my sophomore year I was offered an opportunity to conduct undergraduate research under Dr. Yolanda Rankin. I pursued this research opportunity involving video games for language learning and funded by the National Science Foundation and the Clare Boothe Luce Foundation. I enjoy applying technology to create new solutions to existing problems. After graduation I aspire to pursue my entrepreneurial interests by owning businesses supported by advances in mobile and web applications.
Keith Johnson
My name is Keith B. Johnson Jr. and I previously graduated from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy in 2010. The YEA helped me advance my skills in business; while also giving me the knowledge on how to properly handle my finances. Since graduating from The Young Entrepreneurs Academy I have gone on to obtain my Bachelors Degree from the University of California Davis majoring in Pre- Law. I plan on attending Law School Fall of 2016. My top choices for Law Schools are Georgetown, Howard and University of California Los Angeles. Without the guidance from the mentors that I met during my time in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy I would never been able to understand the significance of business at such an early age. I am forever thankful for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy and all that it does for the youth of Sacramento, California.
Richard Wong
After graduating from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) in the summer of 2014, I began my college education at Sacramento State. I am part of the General Education Honors Program, which is a cohort based curriculum for GE classes. Additionally, I was accepted into Golden Key Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. College has been a really interesting experience for me. I have been able to take many interesting classes and have made a lot of good friends along the way.
YEA was one of the major influences on my choice to pursue a career in Business. We all learned so much and were able to gain hands on insight into real life business situations. When I first entered college, I did not know which particular area I wanted to focus on. After completing many of the lower division Business classes, I was really able to get a feel for the different fields of Business. My accounting classes really sparked my interest and from there on out, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in accountancy, specifically public accounting. My goal now is to obtain my CPA and to work for one of the Big 4 accounting firms. I am now completing my second year and am on track to graduate in two more years with a Bachelors of Science in Accountancy!
Simone Johnson
My name is Simone Johnson and I was part of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) class of 2011. After graduating from YEA and Highlands High school, I went on to purse a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Religious studies at Humboldt State University. Currently, I am a full time student while also holding a part time job as a child care assistant five times a week. Additionally I have an apartment by the college and independently paying for all my finances including my school expenses. I love college life and my job is amazing so hopefully soon I’ll have enough money saved for a down payment on a car! However, I do miss my YEA members & staff greatly and I am so glad I got to have that experience. Anybody in or trying to be in government knows all too well how stressful, unpredictable, and complicated our jobs can be, but nevertheless we continue to do it every day because what we do is bigger than us. The things we have the power to accomplish means more to other people than we will ever know. There will always be something to fight for and you can never put a price on making a difference. So just as all the people connected to the YEA will continue to help change the world so will I. First by becoming the person that I knew deep down I had the potential to be and next by helping others discover that same potential in them that the YEA helped me find in myself.
Ryen Clark (Cohort 12)
“Since graduating YLC, I have been accepted to and will be attending UCLA in the fall. I will be majoring in psychology, to further pursue my goal of becoming a family/marriage therapist, with hopes of having my own practice in the future.”
Edleen Robert’s (Cohort 12)
“I’m working with my dad on his small business”
Kamari Price YLC Graduate May 2023 Cohort 14
Kamari Price graduated from Sacramento State in the Fall 2023 with a degree in Health Science and Child development. She currently owns a hair business as a stylist.
Kamari Price is a dedicated hairstylist who has embarked on an exciting journey by starting her own social media page to showcase her talent and share engaging content. Currently enrolled in cosmetology school, Kamari is committed to earning her cosmetology license to further refine her skills and enhance her professionalism.
She is passionate about hairstyling, she also enjoys going to the gym and actively uploads content to her YouTube channel. Kamari’s ultimate goal is to achieve financial wealth and break generational curses, paving the way for a prosperous future.
Adanna Lori- YLC Graduate May 2022 Cohort 13
Adanna is a UC Davis graduate with a double major in Design and Managerial Economics. Currently studying Nursing, she also holds a Real Estate Agent license. As the lead volunteer at Strong College Students Moving,
Adanna is actively working on launching her fashion design company while expanding her knowledge of stocks. She is dedicated to improving her negotiation skills and aspires to inspire other Black individuals to find profitable ways to create generational wealth. In her free time, Adanna enjoys aerial arts and dance, and she lives by the mantra, “To be the best version of yourself.”
Sydney White- YLC Graduate May 2022 Cohort 13
Sydney is currently working as a Corporate Compliance Intern at Golden1 Credit Union at the Sacramento Headquarters. She started the internship program with Golden1 in the summer 2024. She provides tasks as a Corporate Compliance Intern include tracking, managing, and reviewing the California Legislative bills that could impact the Credit Union through compliance documentation, handling the Complaint system for members and consumers, and helping prepare reports and documents. The internship program includes a final project that all the interns must turn in as what they’ve learned and a specific prompt to answer.
– Sydney is learning valuable information about laws and regulations governing credit unions and the financial industry. She has developed skills in identifying, analyzing,
researching, and mitigating compliance risks. This internship program enhanced her analytical skills by assessing complex regulations and improving her problem-solving skills. Working in a corporate office has strengthened her communication skills by interacting with various business units, preparing drafts or reviews, and participating in meetings. Networking with colleagues and supervisors immersed me in compliance and other potential career paths in risks and management.
Sydney is a rising junior majoring at Spelman College majoring in Political Science. She is expected to graduate in the spring of 2026 and will pursue her master’s program. Sydney has accomplished many achievements such as Spelman Ambassador, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society at Spelman College, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International at Spelman College, National Society of Leadership and Success in the Atlantic University Center.
Sydney is interested in exploring her artistic side in painting. She loves to work out and go to the gym. Her new interest is creating vision boards on Canva. Her upcoming goal is to apply for another internship for the summer.
Aniyah Dubose- YLC Graduated May 2022 Cohort 13
Aniyah DuBose is a graduate Senior at Rex and Margret Fortune Early College Preparatory School and received her double A.S. Degree in General Science and in Liberal Arts – Math and Science at Cosumnes River College in May of 2024. She was the valedictorian for her High School graduation. She is majoring in Political Science on the path to Pre-Law. Her career goal is to become a Business Litigation Attorney.
Her recent project has been the 2023 Debutante, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Eta Gamma Omega Chapter.
Aniyah has received the Rising Star Award in 2023 from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Incorporated. This distinguished award recognizes exceptional achievements in academics, entrepreneurship, community engagement, and an unwavering commitment to embodying leadership excellence in our generation.
Aniyah was awarded the Everyday Heros Award in 2023 from the Courageous & Emerging Leadership Academy. The Everyday Hero’s Award celebrates the remarkable contributions of youth and adults who have made a lasting impact throughout the pandemic and beyond. I am honored to have received this recognition coinciding with the release of our second book, “Surviving Our New Normal,” co-authored by my sister and me.
Aniyah was Bridging the Divide Honoree in 2024. The Bridging the Divide award honors citizens in the Sacramento area who passionately dedicate themselves to dismantling systemic barriers, fostering unity, education, their community, and advancing toward a society founded on justice and equity.
Aniyah has dedicated 28 hours to serving the greater Sacramento area. She distributed groceries, packaged groceries, and worked in a similar environment to a grocery store. She worked 3–4-hour shifts for a couple of days out of the week for 3 weeks. She could greet various people and was even named a star by two shift leads for how easily she adapted to the fast work environment.
Aniyah is the Sacramento, Alpha phi Alpha, Chapter 2024 Scholarship Winner, Sacramento Alumni, Kappa Alpha Psi, 2024 Scholarship Winner, and Sacramento, Alpha Kappa Alpha 2024 Scholarship Winner NAN, Bridging the Divide 2024 Scholarship Winner.
Her learning Goals is to Understand Law and its philosophy with the social sciences behind our congress and our fundamental principles. To Learn to practice my understanding in social setting and connect with others who are already in my field of interests or are working towards being in that field (peers)
Aniyah hobbies & interests is practicing individual lash extensions/ building up lash business to give services in college. Volunteering at the Future Community Church to help expand their online presence and re-branding their app/website.
Aniyah future goals is working towards an Internship in the Justice/Law field Doing hands-on learning to educate myself about my career aspirations and to graduate with her bachelors in the next 3 years.
Nalani Kennedy- YLC Graduated May 2022
Nalani is a Sacramento State student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Entrepreneurship and a minor in Marketing. Having already earned an Associate of Science in Business Administration, her primary goals include graduating with her bachelor’s degree, pursuing a master’s in Business, and working in marketing or a related field. Additionally, she aims to start a photography business and explore opportunities to gain experience as an actress and singer. Nalani enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, and photography, and has recently developed interests in language learning and permaculture.