There are a number of notable women on Howard’s campus that work hard everyday to inspire others and make the most of their college experience. This month I wanted to shine light on a very notable Howard woman that is not only making boss moves, but is successfully spreading her positivity throughout our campus community. Mara Peoples, a Senior, Public Relations Major, Graphic Design Minor from Baltimore, Maryland by way of Princeton, New Jersey is that woman. She currently serves as the 58th Vice President of the Howard University Student Association (HUSA) and is also a Spring 2018 initiate of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Alpha Chapter. Get ready to take notes! Mara was able to share her story with me about her journey through Howard, and ways we Howard women can work to become the best leaders.
Asha: What inspired you to get involved on campus?
Mara: Getting involved on campus started with my love for programming and wanting to host programs, that’s something that I naturally have a tact for. After that, it took someone to mentor and guide me to look for a higher position, which made me become the Programming Director and Deputy Chief of Staff for the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Student Council. After that, someone had asked me to run with them as Vice President for SOC Student Council. I said yes at first, and then I said no and decided to run on my own because I felt like I had the potential to inspire and spark something on campus, especially within the School of Communications. After that, I was fortunate enough to work with Amos Jackson III who was serving as COAS President at the time, and then we decided to run together for HUSA President and Vice President.
A: Howard’s culture has a big emphasis on leadership, what would you describe as the difference between being involved and being a leader on our campus?
M: For the majority of the part, everyone is involved in some way. Whether it be you volunteering to do something and show up for Day of Service or you’re a student on campus, you’re really just involved in Howard’s culture as a whole, but I think leaders on campus are those people that look to find ways to go above and beyond…those people that take time out of their day to figure out “Ok, what can I do to make an impact on someone?” and not just the school as a whole, but maybe just one individual. Sometimes that can have a bigger impact than just trying to get involved in different things on campus. So, I think the biggest difference would be those people who are not only doing what they do for their own reasons or to gain something, but to serve someone else.
A: Do you believe it is possible for women to move up the ladder of success without competing with one another?
M: I do. We actually had the privilege of running against Simone, and she was already involved with UGSA and other things, and I think while sometimes we all have that competitiveness about us, we should change that and say “Ok, well how can we use these as stepping stones” for the next woman or the people that come after us? The President of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications right now, Mekkah Husamadeen, is someone with whom I knew I could be linked together and we could help elevate one another, whether it be for personal motivation, for leadership on campus, or for the day-to-day things we interact with. I think a big part of mentorship is eliminating that competitiveness between women and looking at ways to mentorship each other towards success.
A: What is the most memorable account of adversity you’ve faced while being a woman during your college experience?
M: I’d say one of the biggest challenges I faced on campus was my Freshman year. I had to have surgery due to two 7-inch cysts that I had, which definitely put a dent in the mid-section of my Freshman year. Going to class was difficult, I couldn’t walk by myself, and I had never been through anything like that before. So that definitely motivated me to understand women’s health in a deeper aspect, having gone through something like that.
Another aspect I had to face as a leader on campus was people always saying “Well why didn’t you run for president?” Well, that’s not how Amos and I work. It’s not a vice president to president thing, we call it a co-presidency. But on top of that I just knew myself and knew I saw a lot in Amos’s vision and a lot in my own vision that we could combine to make it one. So that’s definitely something I had to overcome, even from people that knew me on a personal basis, but it was a personal decision that I made and I’m still forever confident in that decision and I think that it serves us both, as well as the Howard community in the best way.
A: Do you believe gender constructs exist in regards to leadership positions on our campus?
M: On our campus, I think that in the past 2 to 3 years we have eliminated that stigma. I think sometimes it’ll always be something people think about. But, if you look at our campus now, the last two HUSA presidents have been women. Currently 4 out of the 6 undergraduate councils are now women leaders on campus, which hasn’t been done before at the same time, to my knowledge. The HUSA VP is a woman leader, UGSA are all women leaders…I think that women are definitely reclaiming their time, as Mr. Howard said in his speech. It’s also just a call to action. I look at past presidents that have motivated other women to be in these positions, and that’s what we try to portray to women on our campus…if we can do it, you all can do it too, it’s just a matter of jumping and getting started.
A: What advice would you give to Howard women that are fearful or hesitant about applying for positions of leadership?
M: I say just try it. In my Inauguration speech, I said if you had asked me where I was going to be the summer coming into my Freshman year I would’ve never imagined it would be here. My advice would be that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, that’s something that my coach used to tell me. That is just one of the many life ideas that I had. Just jump in and get involved, even if you don’t think it’s going to workout, you never know where it can take you, who you will meet, or what experiences and benefits it will be to you as a person and a woman. So that would be my biggest advice…take risks, do what you want to do, and live in the moment.
A: How would you describe your experience running for HUSA VP?
M: It was a lot. But, I loved being able to put all of my energy into something that I really cared about. It gave me something to focus on and something to kind of light a fire under myself. It became something I really enjoyed. I personally already have the creative background and that programming mindset, so to be able to combine all of those and have a hands on experience was something I really personally enjoyed. I would never go back and do another campaign season though, I’ve already done two and I can tell you it’s tiring. But, it’s fun work, it’s not like it’s tiring to the point where I don’t want to do anything else. For anyone that’s interested in running, just know ahead of time if you really want to do it just be prepared to put in the work. It’s definitely a worth while experience, it teaches you professional development skills and a lot of creativity skills as well.
A: Who or what in your life is your main source of inspiration?
M: My mom, without a doubt. My father suffered a seizure and an aneurism my junior year in high school. So, from that moment going on, I’ve seen my mother turn into Super Woman. She is the reason that I get up everyday and want to graduate on time. She has done so much for me, my family, and my sister. I am more than blessed to have a mom like her. I love her so much, she’s met all of my friends, and she’s someone that I look up to. She inspires me to be the best version of me and to want to work harder each and everyday.
A: We just welcomed HU22 and new Transfers, what are your favorite words of wisdom for them?
M: I would go back to my Freshman Pinning Ceremony speech, and Amos, Kayla Waysome, and Brandon Allen, and I went to Chapel that morning, and I included something that Dean Richardson had said in the Chapel service. He said, “Your journey is predestined, anything that you do on this campus, you were meant to do. God has already planned that out for you.” Something else I would say is there will be sleepless nights, it won’t be easy, there will be so many challenges you won’t think you have to go through, but those challenges are what make you who you are and cultivate you into the person that you want to be and show you how you can overcome anything put in your way. The last thing I would say is what I say all the time, someone close to me, told me my sophomore year going into college, “God wouldn’t have given you the vision if he didn’t think you could achieve it.” Anything that I have a vision for or seek to do, God put it in my mind for a reason. It’s predestined, it’s something he’s encouraging me to do, and that he has planned for me already.
As women of color, we are faced with many challenges and adversity. However, there is nothing we can’t handle. Mara’s advice is something we can all remember not only throughout our undergraduate careers, but in life as a whole. We are beautiful, we are strong, and we are capable. Remember that nothing is stopping you from being the best you can be. Be on the look out for our next LeadHER of the month for more inspiration! #hcxo