Meet the 10 NextGen leaders who were selected for the Summer 2022 Noble Leaders Program.

The Noble Leaders Program (NLP) is a highly interactive 6-week program designed for young female leaders, change makers, and aspiring entrepreneurs with a desire to positively shape the future. 

NextGen Leader: Emma Adomako

Emma Adomako is a graduate from Towson University with a degree in healthcare management. Building upon her minor in business administration, she has been working in marketing and project coordination for the last 2 years. She is passionate about business development and providing resources to individuals that are in  underserved communities.

NextGen Leader: Trea'jure Dahl

​Trea’jure Dahl is a graduating international studies major at Spelman College from Ocala, Florida. She has a varied background in venture capital, fashion, sustainability, and cannabis. Recently, she built a cannabis, injustice, and inequities summit for the AUC, particularly Spelman students. She plans to be on the product creation side of the industry while being a cutting-edge sustainable fashion designer.

NextGen Leader: Abby Elias

Abigail Elias is a marketing expert and graphic designer with a passion for nonprofit work and justice causes. For the last four years she's worked in the administrative space for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Her hope is to use her experience and passion to be a voice for the voiceless and bring change in our community. Abby was born and raised in Puerto Rico before she moved to the U.S. 

NextGen Leader: Shamecca Freeman

Shamecca is an undergraduate psychology student from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. She is currently taking a gap year to pursue business endeavors. Shamecca has a variety of interest and learns fast. She is passionate about helping others, which is why she became a certified life coach. Shamecca plans to return to college and finish the year out as she coaches collegiate.

NextGen Leader: Jazmin Goodwin

Jazmin Goodwin is a writer and producer currently based in Washington, DC. She was previously an operations associate for Techstars and an associate writer for CNN Business. She joined CNN Business as an intern in 2019, where she assisted the video team in producing videos. Prior to joining CNN, Goodwin held various editorial, social media and video positions at USA TODAY, Axios and SheKnows. Goodwin has spoken before Congress on educational initiatives and was named a 2016 WHCA scholar. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Howard University and a master's degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, where she was awarded the first-ever Ida B. Wells Society fellowship for investigative reporting. Goodwin was born in Landstuhl, Germany and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. She is a proud gif and meme enthusiast and enjoys reading, chai tea lattes and learning new things on YouTube.

NextGen Leader: Rodas Mekonnen

Rodas Goitom Mekonnen, a second-year student at Montgomery College, is a business major focusing on business management. She is passionate about leadership and desires to lead by example. Sometimes, Rodas helps her aunt manage her little store on the weekends. She helps customers pick the right product, and she assists their process with their payment. In the future, Rodas wants to do charity work once she starts her own business. During her stay at Montgomery college, Rodas got involved in several extra curricula and won several awards. That includes a Student Award for Creative Writing in Fiction for creating a short kid's story concerning climate change that will appear in Montgomery College Spring 2022 Sligo Journal. Rodas also obtained her Student Senate Certification for advocating MC students concerns or issues in Takoma Silver Spring Campus with her fellow student senators. 

NextGen Leader: Vilma Ortiz

Vilma Ortiz is a 22 year-old woman who has wished nothing more than positive change in her surrounding environments. She is striving to become a professional in Business Management, and is on her second term at Montgomery College. Vilma is an assistant billing coordinator working in Columbia, MD. While balancing school, work, hobbies, and personal growth, Vilma managed to become certified through the personal and leadership development program titled "MC LEADS"  in 2022. Vilma hopes to transfer to the Robert H. Smith School of Business at UMD College Park, or the Landon Undergraduate School of Business at Florida International. In her free time, Vilma has dedicated her service to her church which is situated in Laurel, MD. Vilma is also a part of a fanbase administrative group for a popular musical artist called Twice, and she, along with the help of her colleagues, have now garnered over twenty-thousand followers on their Twitter profile. 

NextGen Leader: Catherine Raley

Catherine Raley is a two-time graduate from Salisbury University with a B.S. in Exercise Science-Allied Health and M.S. in Applied Health Physiology.  Ms. Raley has professional experience in event planning, non-profits, grants, project management, training coordination, higher education, fundraising, clinical exercise physiology, and recreation. Her leadership background began at age twelve and has truly enhanced how she interacts with all, from leading retreats and mentoring youth, to being the student manager of a coffee shop, tour guide on campus, peer leader on trips to Maine and Canada, serving as President for both an Outdoors Club and Graduate Student Council, she is excited for the next position that arises. She is working on checking off each state to run a marathon in and presently has 42 to go. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, playing with her dog, and researching for future adventures.

NextGen Leader: Takiyah Roberts

Takiyah Roberts is a rising sophomore at the University of Maryland (UMD). She was admitted into UMD on scholarship as a material science engineering major. However, she realized that she was not passionate about material science engineering and wanted to use her degree once she graduated. She soon discovered a program at the University of Maryland that allows students to make their own major. The major that she is creating has four concentrations; Africana studies, art, entrepreneurship, and STEM. 

Roberts is passionate about entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for minorities. She started a non-profit called The Black Woman Complex (BWC) which was created to support and uplift Black women. She has formed a team to help push BWC forward. Takiyah is also working on another non-profit called represented which was created to serve the underrepresented in STEM, Entrepreneurship, and cooperate America. Roberts is a tenacious woman ready to change the world.

NextGen Leader: Swechchha Shrestha

Swechchha Shrestha is a second-year student at Montgomery College where she is pursuing an associate degree in Information Sciences and Systems. She is passionate about technology, community service, and advocacy. Swechchha has received MC Spirit of Service Medallion and Outstanding Service Leader Award for her commitment to community service. She has also received AAWCC (American Association for Women in Community Colleges) Award for taking on various leadership roles and serving the college community. During the academic year 2021-2022, she was a Senator At Large, Secretary of Student Activities Board, Marketing Committee, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In the future, she wants to be a Data Analyst or an UX/UI Designer. Upon completion of her associate degree, Swechchha plans to transfer to a four-year university to get a bachelor’s degree in Information Science and then, she aspires to complete her master’s degree in Business Administration.

Questions about the Noble Leaders Program? Contact us at Contact@NobleUprising.org.