Positively Detroit
“A smile is the most beautiful curve on a woman’s body.”
Alladia Fakir Patterson has an infectious smile that is inspiring women and young girls to beam and to reach beyond their potential.
The Ivy League student-athlete recently participated in the Miss Black America Pageant and ran on a platform promoting self-esteem and discouraging usage of height and weight charts that contribute to individuals having a negative body image.
“I ran on the belief that The American Medical Association Height and Weight Chart is unnecessarily damaging to the self-esteem of children and adults alike for a plethora of reasons and that it needs to be changed,” Patterson said. “As a person who started competitive athletics at a young age, the fact that these charts have no consideration for muscle tone, gender, etc. is intolerable.”
While such charts overlook essential characteristics affecting weight, Patterson’s words of encouragement has her protégés and teammates overcoming negative stereotypes and wearing winning smiles.
“A strong and capable person starts with a good heart and beauty exists in every form,” she said.
Patterson’s crown of beauty was inherited from her mother, Amina Fakir, a proud native Detroiter
who won Miss Black America 1985.
“She's been recalling stories from her reign to me
since the earliest I can remember and I always
marveled at her experiences. When I was young I
was always more of a sporty girl and it was only
recently that I realized being an athlete and a
beauty queen didn't have to be mutually exclusive,”
Patterson explained. “For the longest time, I
thought my mother had her lane, I had mine, and it
was fine with me that they didn't cross. However, I knew this was something she wanted to share with me so I figured the 50th anniversary was as good a time as any to sign up.”
Full & Fabulous, a Detroit-based non-profit organization, sponsored Patterson in the pageant, which will air on WADL in Detroit on Feb. 10 at 8 pm.
Patterson said that the pageant experience was surreal and having her mother as coach was the ultimate prize.
“The whole pageant process was a whirlwind and I felt so grateful to have the knowledge and comfort of a former queen at my disposal, especially one that I get to call mom,” Patterson added.
Following the pageant, Patterson resumed studies as a sophomore at Yale University where she attends on an athletic scholarship as a Track and Field recruit and competes in shot-put and discus.
One lesson she’s mastered on and off the field is “when life throws you curves, embrace them.”
Big Sean teams up with Ally to find
'Moguls in the Making'
PRNewswire/ -- Ally Financial is on a mission to increase diversity of thought in the workplace and find the best and brightest young entrepreneurs across the country. The company is launching Moguls in the Making together with fellow Detroit native, entertainer and entrepreneur Big Sean, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), who share Ally's passion for giving young people tools to succeed. TMCF is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the black college community. Big Sean is the founder of the Sean Anderson Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the education, health, safety and well-being of school aged youth and their families.
One of the Sean Anderson Foundation's initiatives is Mogul Prep, which aims to provide students educational programming to help them navigate the entertainment industry. The shared values and goals between the Sean Anderson Foundation, Mogul Prep, TMCF, and Ally inspired the Moguls in the Making program.
"I really feel like one of my life purposes is to inspire," said Big Sean, entertainer, entrepreneur and founder of the Sean Anderson Foundation. "Moguls in the Making is all about making the next generation of moguls, finding that hustler spirit and hunger that exists in our youth and bringing that forward. I'm excited to find these great young minds and give them a platform and an opportunity to further build their futures."
Moguls in the Making is an innovative program aimed at empowering young entrepreneurs and giving them a platform to bring their dreams to life. In 2017, a study by CB Insights found that while 13 percent of the American population is black, only 1 percent of venture capital-backed start-ups have black founders. Ally is passionate about supporting economic mobility and helping underserved communities gain tools to enhance their career opportunities and financial trajectory. This competition aims to help prepare bright and talented black students to become future entrepreneurs.
Through TMCF, the trio will identify standout entrepreneurs-in-the-making from publicly-supported historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) around the country. Those students will represent their school in teams to compete for the top prize.
"Ally is committed to diversity and inclusion and aiding economic mobility through programs that provide all individuals greater access to services, education and resources they can use to help improve their economic circumstances and enrich their lives," said Alison Summerville, business administration executive and head of Corporate Citizenship at Ally Financial. "What excites me about this competition is the fact that we're giving all these students an opportunity to interact with us, to receive mentoring, and to pull out their creative spirits, potentially spring boarding them to a future as an entrepreneur that can help uplift others."
The application deadline is Feb. 3. Visit https://apply.tmcf.org to apply.
Through Moguls in the Making students from publicly-supported HBCUs selected by TMCF will have the opportunity to represent their school and compete in a weekend-long challenge in Detroit on March 29-31. Students will devise and pitch a business plan to a panel of judges including Ally executives and Big Sean. The top two teams will receive prizes.
"A key element of TMCF is securing top talent for major companies but another aspect we are proud of is identifying and developing the next generation of global innovators and entrepreneurs," said George Spencer, executive vice president of business development, innovation and entrepreneurship at TMCF. "There is no doubt this incredible program will be the catalyst for entrepreneurial success and inspiration for the HBCU students competing in Detroit."
NAIAS, PNC Foundation to spark imagination in preschoolers
at 9th Annual 'PNC Grow Up Great Day'
PRNewswire/ -- The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and the PNC Foundation will provide over 400 Detroit Public Schools (DPS) pre-K students with an innovative and fun way to think about cars and the auto show at "PNC Grow Up Great Day" on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019.
Ric Devore, PNC regional president for Detroit and Southeast Michigan, will kick off the 9th Annual "PNC Grow Up Great Day" event, which is part of PNC Grow Up Great®, a $350 million, multi-year, bilingual initiative to promote early childhood education.
The day will include a wide range of hands-on educational activities focusing on science, technology, reading, engineering arts and mathematics (STREAM). Preschool students will participate in a coloring contest, a Lego car-building project, plenty of age-appropriate and entertaining workshops on the show floor and a group photo to remember their special day at the NAIAS. Walkaround Elmo from Sesame Street® will also make a special appearance.
"PNC's support of 'PNC Grow Up Great Day' reflects our strong corporate commitment to early childhood education in Detroit and communities served by PNC," said DeVore. "Over the past nine years, PNC has brought more than 3,400 DPS preschool students to this world-class show in an effort to spark an interest in math and science at an early age."
"PNC Grow Up Great Day" students will begin their NAIAS adventure a few days before their actual visit, with in-class lesson plans building momentum for their trip to the show. After the visit, students will be able to share their experiences with others when they put together their very own field trip report.
Each preschool student will leave the auto show with a copy of the book, "Pincy's Auto Show Adventures," and a stuffed animal version of the lovable canine. Pincy was created by NAIAS to encourage youngsters to learn about automobiles and the auto show in a fun and entertaining way.
"The youngsters of today will be our future automotive leaders of tomorrow," said 2019 NAIAS Chairman Bill Golling. "They may be at our show coloring with crayons now, but someday the wonderful imagination ignited here could translate into designing, engineering and building mobility solutions that will change our way of life in the future."
Capping off the fun day at the show, one lucky preschooler will be randomly selected to take home a new booster seat.
A crown of beauty
Red Wings for reading
The Detroit Red Wings and alternate captain Justin Abdelkader are excited to announce the sixth year of Red Wings for Reading, presented by Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP), to encourage Michigan elementary school students to read outside the classroom.
All kindergarten through fifth grade students in Michigan are encouraged to read three or more books for their grade level, as selected by Abdelkader, or have someone read those three books to them. Don't forget to log how many minutes you spend reading each book!
All student entries received by January 31st, 2019 will be entered to win a pair of tickets for the March 16th, 2019 Red Wings home game, courtesy of forward Justin Abdelkader. Every participating student will become a member of Abby's All Stars and receive an official Red Wings for Reading Fan Pack.
The full list of Abdelkader's favorite books for each grade level are below, as well as a downloadable reading log, book list and poster to hang up in classrooms or throughout the school. You will also find the form to enter the contest at https://www.nhl.com/redwings/community/red-wings-for-reading.
To manually enter the Sweepstakes (an “Alternate Entry”), Parent will print his/her name, address, city, state, zip code and telephone number on a 4x6 note card and mail the Alternate Entry via first class mail to: Detroit Red Wings, Attn Abby’s All-Star Red Wings for Reading, 2525 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201 postmarked no later than Wednesday, Jan. 31 and received by Monday, Feb. 4.
Only Alternate Entries sent via first class U.S Mail will be accepted. All other Alternate Entries will be void. Any Alternate Entries received postage-due will automatically be void. Only one Alternate Entry per envelope. If more than one Alternate Entry is in an envelope, all Alternate Entries in the envelope will be void. Only one entry per person. Facsimiles, photocopies or mechanical reproductions of Alternate Entries will be void. Proof of sending or submitting an Alternate Entry is not proof of receipt of such Alternate Entry by Sponsors.
