Career Day 2025 at Imani Christian Academy brought together a remarkable group of professionals on December 5th, creating an experience that left both presenters and students inspired. Throughout the day, students in grades 7-12 had the opportunity to engage with successful professionals from diverse fields – from banking and law to construction, entrepreneurship, and the arts—many of whom shared similar backgrounds and journeys with the students themselves.

Preparing Students for Purpose

“We want to bring in folks who have walked the path and have been exhibiting some success as well as students need to see people that look like them,” explained Ron Graham, Imani’s NIA Director. “We have a lot of students of color here, so we made sure most of our presenters were of color and female as well. We wanted to go through a diverse nature of experiences of exposure for the kids.”

That intentional representation made a profound impact. Morgan Overton, a Pittsburgh-based multidisciplinary artist and owner of Morgan Overton’s Art Gallery in Lawrenceville’s Market House, reflected on what the day meant to her personally. “I’m from Penn Hills, and honestly, we didn’t have a day like this where I would see people like me representing all different sectors and fields of opportunity,” she shared. “So I just kept thinking about my little self in those seats throughout the day and just thinking, who could I be for these young people that I wish I would have had?”

Video From Career Day 2025

Students Who Stand Out

What struck nearly every presenter was the caliber of our students – their preparation, curiosity, and genuine engagement with the material being presented.

Richard Njenga, Head of Productions at Njenga Productions, echoed this sentiment. “I was humbled by the inquisitiveness,” he said. “Being able to be in a space where there are bright eyes in the room, something that continues to remind me to be bright-eyed, even as we’re in this world, and also to continue to let our lights shine in the midst of everything.”

Birdie Reynolds, District Sales Coordinator at Aflac, noted the deeper confidence she observed in Imani students. “They had great questions, but more importantly, they had a sense of themselves. They had a sense of understanding that because of who they are, they’re able to do whatever they want to do. They can accomplish dreams that they have. They had a confidence in them that I thought was absolutely beautiful to see because you don’t always see that in young people.”

Real Questions, Real Impact

The students’ questions revealed both practical concerns and deeper curiosity about their futures. Nancy Rounsley, Senior Project Manager at Massaro Construction, found herself discussing the economics of major construction projects. “They were very interested in cost of buildings and how much money is spent on a very large building. And I started talking about $78 million, $120 million. Eyes got very big,” she recalled with a smile. “I had very good questions about who pays for that and what’s the most expensive thing going into buildings and things like that.”

Attorney Lena Bryant Henderson was energized by students’ desire to understand their rights. “The kids were very receptive and wanted to know what their rights are when they’re in the cars or walking on the street,” she said. “I thrive on empowering people with knowledge, and to see them light up and ask questions was inspiring to me as a presenter.”

One question that sparked broader reflection came during Njenga’s session. “Somebody mentioned salary, what’s the salary for this?” he recounted. “I pivoted it to what is the value that you’re creating for others, right? The more you create for others, the more you can earn. And we emphasize maybe it’s not about necessarily the monetary aspect, even though that’s important, but at the end of the day, what value are you creating for others?”

Shared Journeys, Diverse Paths

The power of Career Day extended beyond career information—it was about showing students that success comes in many forms and through various paths. Jackson, who grew up in Homewood, shared his non-linear journey with students. “My path was not linear. It was all over the place. I did not end up where I expected to end up when I started,” he explained. “But in that path, I learned a lot and obviously that ended up being part of the plan. It might have been my plan. I may not have known the plan, but it was part of the plan.”

Graham highlighted the importance of this relatability: “When the presenter is talking about, ‘Here’s the neighborhood I came from. Oh, wait, that’s just like my neighborhood,’ and this is the path that I took— nobody’s path is the same. It’s just encouraging that, ‘Yeah, I can get there from here.'”

Timmisha Moore, entrepreneur and owner of Mimi Sha’ar Virgin Hair Company in Penn Hills, brought her own journey full circle. “Honestly, personally, I just felt like I was back at home,” she said. Moore, who worked in an alternative school for seven years before transitioning to full-time entrepreneurship, emphasized practical wisdom. “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. So you have to have a foundation in everything that you do. If you don’t get anything else from being in Imani Christian Academy, understand that it’s a foundation that’s being set for you.”

The Collective Wisdom of the Village

Paulo Nzambi, CEO and Head of School, reflected on what he calls “the collective wisdom of the village” that emerged throughout the day. “I don’t think at times we realize how profound our statements are,” he observed. “We heard Richard Njenga talk about how there is a distinction between money and value. We heard Nancy talk about how big money has a big impact on small minds and how students are interested in building transgenerational wealth. We heard Morgan talking about the fact that she had an opportunity here to see people who looked like her. We heard Lena Bryant Henderson talk about how our students are curious—they wanted to know what their rights are.”

Most significantly, Nzambi noted, “Clarence reminds us that Imani is indeed a different place, that he came into an environment and he could immediately perceive that this is a school like no other, that there are students here who have perceived from what we have told them that they are imbued by the almighty God with purpose and potential and promise.”

Reynolds summed up what many presenters felt about their experience: “One of the things that I take away from being here is that what is happening in Imani is being imparted in students and we see that. Continue to do what you do because it’s working. It’s about legacy. It’s about all of us who have succeeded in some way, whether great or small, pouring back into our communities.”

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

A Day of Seeds Planted

Overton perhaps captured the spirit of the day best when she described her approach to working with students: “There were just so many gifts and talent in that room and you only have so much time. So let me just plant some seeds. They may not get it today, but maybe tomorrow, maybe next week.”

Graham reflected on the success of the event: “When we got the feedback from the presenters, they were very impressed with the Imani students. I think the kids were very inquisitive, very interested, respectful, looking forward to what they can pull from those presenters as well as what their future looks like. When you look at experiences through career choices, I think that it gives them a jump start on what they would like to be.”

Thank you to all of our wonderful presenters:

Richard Njenga, Head of Productions, Njenga Productions

Nancy Rounsley, Senior Project Manager, Massaro Construction

Clarence Jackson, Vice President of Community Development, Dollar Bank

Birdie Reynolds, District Sales Coordinator, Aflac

Timmisha Moore, Entrepreneur/Owner, Mimi Sha’ar Virgin Hair Company

Lena Bryant Henderson, Attorney at Law

Morgan Overton, Pittsburgh-Based Multidisciplinary Artist and Owner, Morgan Overton’s Art Gallery

Career Day 2025 was more than an educational event – it was a powerful reminder that when a community comes together to invest in its young people, transformation happens. As the seeds planted on December 5th take root, the future looks bright for Imani’s students.