Bio

My Living Testimony…

As one of eight (yes, 8) children, Ciara has constantly sought out ways to set herself apart from the crowd. From the tender age of 7 years old, her father put the idea in her head that she aspire to be a lawyer. He stated “You like to talk,, read, and argue, yep, you’re gonna be a lawyer.” At that point, there was no looking back. Ciara continued her scholarship and outspokenness by participating in the National Geographic Bee in middle school, being a cheerleading captain all 4 years of high school, and being apart of the National Honor Society. Aside from those accomplishments, she participated in volleyball, tennis, track and field, and continues to be an active member of Messias Temple Apostolic Faith Church in Davenport, Iowa where her father is the pastor.

Of course, life is not without its hiccups…in her senior year of high school after several offers of admission from Duke, UNC, and Harvard, Ciara became pregnant with her daughter. Now, after receiving this kind of news, any 17 year old would be understandably heartbroken. However, Ciara embraced the lifelong challenge that was in front of her and continued on to start her freshman year of college at Drake University. While at Drake, Ciara participated in several student organizations and gained several academic accolades including a full-tuition academic scholarship. After 3 years, Ciara graduated early from Drake University and sought admission to law school.

Since being admitted to law school, Ciara has explored several areas of law ranging from medical malpractice, government contracting, to sports & entertainment law. Ciara has also nurtured her inner entrepreneur by incorporating two businesses, which are currently in development. Ciara was also a finalist in the 2011 Black Enterprise Elevator Pitch Competition, out of 150 submissions. Most recently, she spoke with a few pregnant teens that were part of The Doula Group in Moline, Illinois about the importance of continuing education as a single-parent. She is in her last year of law school at Drake University Law School with receipt of her Juris Doctor and Masters in Public Administration in May 2012.

If all this sounds unreal, well…it would have been but for the help of an extremely supportive family AND faith! Ciara’s mission is to “strive to create meaning and incentivize action in the world around you.” This can only be achieved by educating and cultivating a mindset of purposeful action within her community.

Ciara has had an interesting journey so far, and looks to inspire others to create a meaningful journey for themselves as well!