From the president
Aaliyah Howard is an inspiring advocate committed to reforming the justice system. While at Central Michigan University, Aaliyah has served as the secretary for the Student Advocates for Prison Reform and the Incarcerated and she plans to continue her leadership by attending law school to become a judge. Aaliyah continuously gives to the CMU community through her leadership roles in numerous student organizations and spends much of her free time mentoring peers in the IMPACT program to ensure their success and promote the development of dialogue and civic engagement skills.
Personal Statement
When I think about my life, I have always been passionate about helping others. My lived experiences and intersectional identities are the reasons why I fight for others that cannot fight for themselves. Not everyone on campus has a voice even if we want them to. Being on multiple executive boards, I use my platform to be the voice that can enact change. This led me to be involved in IMPACT. IMPACT was a chance for me to find my community even though the black population on campus is small. This change in myself led me to continue my involvement with IMPACT and serve as a Mentor Coordinator. This journey to help others, especially people of color, is why I want to become a lawyer. My community lacks hope in the justice system, and I want to be in a position to consider all the needs of people. This work will lead me to join the Equal Justice Initiative—a fight for ending mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality. There is much work to be done and that work started for me the day I stepped foot on campus.