Kiani Bell Class of 2019

Interview by Aneara Burns. Photo courtesy of LinkedIn.

Collegiate has always made sure to pour encouragement into its students so that their talents and intelligence can grow. Kiani Bell is a prime example of that. She is a recent graduate who is already on track with her career. I had the pleasure of talking to her about her time as a student at Collegiate, her college experience, and her career path.

Aneara: What college did you attend, and what was your major?

Kiani: I went to the University of Rochester. I majored in psychology and African-American studies. 

Aneara: How did being a Posse Scholar impact your college experience? 

Kiani: Well, it's a full tuition scholarship, and it's based on your leadership capabilities in high school. Financially my tuition was fully covered, and I was able to get other scholarships. I also was able to go to college with a cohort of 10 people, so I wasn’t completely by myself. I had people that I was familiar with, that I had created a bond with for six months prior to stepping on campus. So I went in with a small group of friends and it made our acclamation to college a little bit easier.

Aneara:  Do you feel as though Collegiate prepared you enough for college?

Kiani: Yes and no. I feel like academically, it exposed me to what a college level education is, with dual enrollment and AP classes, but nothing replaces stepping on a college campus and actually taking the classes themselves.  Collegiate exposed us and gave us a preview, but in terms of taking those classes while having your first sense of freedom, while being away from home, nothing compares to actually going to college and doing it for yourself and experiencing it. 

Aneara: Did you face any adversities in college?

Kiani: Definitely. Academics was a struggle. It's not like I did not use the tutoring services and office hours. Like I said, Collegiate exposed us to some of it, but it's nothing like going to those college classes and being the only black person in a class full of twenty people, or being the only black woman in the class. So, there were definitely some challenges.

Aneara:  What is your career path? What does that look like?

Kiani: Right now I'm taking a small break in between commencement and my career. I'm working at the Friendship Community Office, so I'm still within the Friendship network. But this upcoming fall I'll be applying to graduate programs, and one of them will be a fellowship to become a teacher. I do have a passion for helping people of color, helping black women, and helping youth. So I think the fellowship would be a nice way to encompass all of that until I figure out a career path in the next few years.

Aneara: Were you in any extracurricular activities in high school and college? Did they shape you in any way?

Kiani: I was in FNN, I was a cheerleader, I did SGA at one point and Model UN. I think those activities made me a well-rounded person, and taught me that I can have an interest in multiple things. Also, that these activities don’t have to be like what I wanted to do academically or career-wise. But I was able to put my feet in multiple ponds, like just get exposed to different things. In college I was a part of a hip-hop dance team on campus, which allowed me to expand on my passion for dancing. I also  joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated during my sophomore year. 

Aneara: What is one life lesson that college taught you? 

Kiani: I think one lesson college taught me was to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Going to Collegiate, which is an almost all-black school in the middle of northeast DC, was really comfortable because I'm from here and I grew up in an environment like that. But immersing myself in a PWI in the north, that's like a top 30 school in the US at that, was hard. It was rigorous academically, but also really uncomfortable socially at times because I wasn't used to that. So I think the biggest lesson was to be able to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Aneara: What advice would you give to the current Collegiate students?

Kiani: I would tell them to stay focused and stay dedicated. Collegiate’s motto is to “go to and through college.” Recently, I realized that all of us graduated from Collegiate and all of us got accepted to college, but so many of us didn't graduate. So I would tell them to stay dedicated and focused and see the end goal. College is strenuous, but I definitely think that it's worth it. Especially if they're first-generation students. It will be hard and difficult, because you won't have a family that's able to relate to that experience or to help you like some other people do, but I definitely think it's worthwhile to always reach back to the community that's helping you. Today I'm still in contact with a lot of my Collegiate teachers, even some of my  peers, who are willing to help me because they are willing to help us, they want to continue to see all of us alumni be successful. So don't be afraid to ask for help from the people on campus, the people at Collegiate, and stay focused.

Aneara Burns is an intern at Friendship Collegiate Academy.