Later Denise applied for Teach for America, where she met incredible young people with poise and promise but without the resources and opportunities to display their brilliance. This experience helped Denise understand the joys and limitations of teaching, particularly in bureaucratic systems. With such understanding, Denise transitioned into graduate school at Teachers College, Columbia, where she received her master’s degree, hoping to find the panacea for the classroom ills.

In search for more solutions, Denise agreed to work at her father’s community-based non-profit organization, Youth Enrichment Services (YES), to help young people become their own best resource. Denise is now pursuing a PhD in education and psychology from the University of Michigan, where she is building a post-secondary pipeline for youth of color. Now, in her fourth year, Denise is a doctoral candidate preparing to write her dissertation which explores how contextual and environmental factors influence Black youths’ orientations toward the future and advancement toward adulthood.