ABOUT ME
Michaye McIlwain was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in PG County, Maryland. It was there in the “DMV” (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) that Michaye developed her love for photography, 2D Art, dance and becoming an entrepreneur. Over the years, Michaye has gradually put these passions into action. Her growing photography company has grown from church events to wedding opportunities, while her merchandise and graphic design company grows in customers frequently. These interests, and other passions such as child education and traveling, influenced her decision to attend Agnes Scott College. Michaye’s growing interests have made it challenging for her to declare a major, though, she’s interested in pursuing Sociology, Africana Studies, Business Management and other fields of study. She realizes that with her many interests, her education will not stop after college. She cannot wait to witness her own self growth through future classes, internships, journeys abroad and other opportunities here in Atlanta.
Before Agnes Scott’s orientation program for first years, called Legacy, I knew that I had leadership qualities such as Futuristic, Intellection, Discipline, Relator, and Learner. Although, I was not able to identify them in this context until after the results from a StrengthsQuest test. Of the five strengths, I believe Learner best describes the person I am and still strive to be every day. As a learner, I am always looking for opportunities where I can grow mentally. The process of understanding something new excites me and once I’ve mastered a new skill or subject, I grow in confidence. On a regular basis, writing down and researching something I don’t understand is just a small supplement to my growth. Due to my constant research, I can involve myself in stimulating conversations, more effectively take advantage of my college education and build myself up as a leader. As a leader, I believe it is best to take advantage of any moment where one can learn something new. Effective and successful leaders do not stay stagnant, in their own ways, never willing to learn. Instead, they succeed by learning from the people and opportunities around them, and that’s what I plan to do at Agnes Scott and beyond.
MICHAYE'S DC PROJECTS
BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL PROJECT
During the summer of 2020 I had the pleasure of working with some of my old high school classmates; Sean Brewer, Olivia Mae Junkin, and Randi Jones, on a mural project for Bread for the City. Sean, Olivia, and I were tasked by the CEO, George A. Jones, to create a design that was bold and demonstrated Bread for the City’s solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. In the end, my design was chosen and we soon got to work painting. Above you will find a video created by one of the artists, Sean Brewer, compiling our experience, and below you will find a link to an article on Bread for the City’s page.
