She was the quiet kid – athletic, focused, never the one who raised her hand for student council. Leadership wasn’t something she chased.

Until a teacher saw something in her and asked a simple question:

“Would you consider being a mentor?”

That invitation changed everything.  Aliyah didn’t see herself as a speaker  she was more of the organizer. The one who remembered the details, who understood what students needed, who could see how the pieces fit together.

She brought vision. She brought belief. She brought connection. And she still does today!

Now, years later, our fashionista Aliyah runs her own clothing line — but she’s never stopped pouring into Ignite. Not because she has to. But because it feeds her soul.

She shows up because students need what she has – a calm presence, a quiet confidence, and a belief in people that goes far deeper than surface-level hype.

This summer, I watched her step into something even more powerful.

In Lufkin, Texas, with 100 student mentors in the room, Aliyah didn’t just facilitate. She led a movement.

She asked the kind of questions that stop you mid-sentence. She told the kind of stories that spark a memory. And she reminded students why leadership isn’t about being the loudest – it’s about being real.

They weren’t just taking notes. They were finding themselves.

One student said it best: “Ms. Aliyah is a tidal wave of hope.”

And they’re right. She’s not forceful. She’s undeniable.

She brings belief with every word – and she leads like someone who still remembers what it felt like to be overlooked.

“There’s gotta be a pony in there somewhere.”
For Aliyah, that pony is every quiet student who steps up, every hesitant mentor who finds their voice, and every kid who realizes… they were meant to lead, too.