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The passion behind AYO's DREAM
FOUNDER LIFE & SUCCESS STORY
Hi, Families & Counselors!
I'm Malena Amusa, M.A., a Nigerian-American St. Louis native and elite college admissions essay coach and editor.
My passion for empowering others began as a child, when I accompanied my father to civil rights campaigns and community meetings. At home, lively debates about history and politics helped me find my voice and discover the power of great questions and well-worded information to shape consciousness.
By my freshman year of high school, my father insisted I join the debate team. I was instantly drawn to global political issues, but serving as team captain and mentoring younger debaters revealed an even greater gift: helping others discover their strengths and achieve results.
That calling followed me to Northwestern University, where I studied journalism while leading dance troupes, mentoring aspiring journalists, and serving as a sounding board and editor for students pursuing competitive internships, jobs, and graduate programs. I loved helping talented people recognize what made them extraordinary and communicate it with vision and clarity.
Eager to grow creatively and professionally, I made my way to my dream city, New York. It became my launchpad for writing critical news stories, performing with elite African dance troupes, and researching global aid to Africa at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. My passion for empowering others only deepened, taking me to India, South Africa, Senegal, and Nigeria to report the news, teach, and perform on international stages. Along the way, I discovered that the gifts God planted within me were powerful enough to carry me beyond my earliest dreams and inspire new ones. I went on to establish Amusa Communications and Addlife! World, LLC, serving clients from Google, Inc. and Verizon to small business owners working miracles on the ground.
After 20 years of passion and pursuit, I met the love of my life and began a family of my own. Motherhood deepened the chambers of my heart and renewed my commitment to building a world where young people have the skills and opportunity to pursue their dreams.
As a mother, wife, woman of faith, former debater, Ivy League graduate, international journalist, and performer, my leading edge is a rare confluence of life experience, creative vision, and a calling to empower others.
As the founder of AYO's DREAM, I'm excited to bring that experience to families like yours, helping young scholars discover their greatest gifts and pursue their boldest ambitions.
Let's get started!
Malena Amusa, M.A.
