From the president
Mikayla is a second-year Civic Studies and Sociology major at Tufts University who is committed to working towards positive social change through sport. Through her coursework in the Civic Studies program, Mikayla is building her skills in critical reflection, ethical thinking, and action for social change. In addition to her academic pursuits, Mikayla is a forward on the Women’s Basketball team and is a leader both on and off the court. She is a Civic Life Ambassador in Tufts Athletics, through which she leads her fellow student-athletes in civic and community engagement and critical reflection. She has been a leader for Tufts’ National Girls and Women in Sports day and organized her team to volunteer for a local adaptive sports program. Mikayla coaches for Shooting Touch, a Boston-based organization that uses the platform of sport to create safe and supportive environments for girls of color. Additionally, she recently founded the Women in Sports Management club at Tufts, as a vehicle to explore careers in sports management and elevate the role of women in this exciting and growing field. Mikayla is passionate about empowering and increasing access for BIPOC youth and women in the fields of sports, leadership, and beyond.
Personal Statement
Sustainable civic engagement is driven by passion. I have combined my love for basketball with my love for building community. This past summer, I began coaching for an AAU program named Shooting Touch which was established to use basketball as a vehicle to bring opportunity to children of color. As a Black woman that also plays collegiate basketball, mentoring girls of color that are entering the 5th grade and high school (really important years) seemed vital. When I was their age, having someone that looked like me and whom I could not only look up to but build a relationship with would have made a world's difference. I have grown to feel most confident on the basketball court and I am striving to pass that power to every girl within the Shooting Touch community. Playing alongside the girls, helping braid their hair, and dancing with them is how we built community. In the end, this experience showed me the power of connecting passion with engagement within one's community. In the future, I will continue to use my passions to build community and encourage others to use their own to engage within their communities. That’s how we will see real change.