The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.
Janhavi Parekh
I grew up in India and did my undergrad there in Visual Communication, so I was already on the creative side of things, but animation always had this special pull for me. Moving to Atlanta for my master’s in animation was both exciting and terrifying. I thought it would be all about doing what I love and finding happiness, but that’s not always the case. There’s happiness, yes, but also frustration, self-doubt, late nights, and somewhere in all of that, there are moments of accomplishment. It’s a bit of everything, and I love that. Read more>>
Kareem McMichael
I’m Kareem McMichael, a Macon, Georgia native who’s always had a passion for storytelling—whether through acting, journalism, or film. I wrote for the Teen Board section of my hometown, The Macon Telegraph, when I was in high school, thanks to an opportunity my mom found out about. That passion sparked early; I was performing in school and community events by the age of five. My journey brought me to Savannah State University, where I originally majored in Theater before shifting to Mass Communications, making Theater my minor. During my time there, I anchored the student newscast and launched a web show called ACES, which spotlighted campus life. Read more>>
Lanee Chapman Mikayla Proctor
It all started with two best friends who shared a love for making women feel their most beautiful. I specialized in hair, she specialized in makeup, and we both dreamed of being part of the magic that happens on a wedding day. After years of perfecting our crafts separately, we decided to join forces and create our own wedding beauty team. Now, we get to work side by side, bringing each bride’s vision to life her with the flawless glam, me with the dream hair making sure our brides not only look stunning, but feel confident and radiant as they walk down the aisle. Read more>>
Brayden Wisniewski
I moved to Savannah for SCAD and am currently studying user experience design. If you are not quite sure what that means, don’t worry—most people don’t. In short, it is the part of design where we focus on identifying problems and crafting solutions that can be digital, physical, or somewhere in between. I have had the opportunity to work on meaningful projects while staying inspired by the city’s creative energy. Read more>>
Logan & Liam
We are local insurance brokers. What that means is we set up our clients with their needs within their budget for them so it eliminates the stress from their lives. We work with over 50 carriers so we can really attract our clients personal needs and find them the best coverage for them. We provide health, life, dental, vision, Medicare, supplemental and other benefits through our practice. We pride ourselves with having local connections and always being there for our clients on a personal level. Read more>>
Beth Copic
We bake everything fresh, by hand, every single day. We’ve got the classics, our blueberry and cinnamon scones are the most popular, and often the first to sell out, but I also love to play around with flavors. One of my favorites right now is called “Bless Your Buttercup,” which is chocolate and peanut butter. The best part? Our customers named it through social media. I like to keep things interactive — it makes our menu feel like a collaboration with our regular guests. Read more>>
Raphaelle Laluyaux
Having to learn to prioritize my mental health and only taking on projects that I know will benefit myself and my career has been one of the best things I could have done for myself. I’m able to put adequate time into fewer projects instead of not giving my all to many projects. I would also say that another struggle that I more recently experienced was on “99.9 Fear FM”, where I was given a lot of trust to complete new tasks that I had never done before. It was an amazing learning experience for me and one that I am very grateful for, because it taught me how to pivot when needed and do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Read more>>
Tristan Austin
I love coming up with stories. My mom asked me if I would like to do a whole story from beginning to end. I said I would try. She told me how stories need a beginning, something interesting, villains, and action, and then an end. We worked all weekend. She recorded me telling my story. She then wrote down what I said, and then I had her read it out loud. I then told her what I wanted to change, and she would record me again. I would get frustrated because the story didn’t sound like I wanted to; we did this a lot. And then, when the story was exactly how I wanted it, we worked on the cover. That was fun! We used my mom’s computer to create a LEGO black dinosaur for the cover of my book, Black Baby Dinosaur. Read more>>
Isaiah Frazier
It definitely has not been a smooth road anyone that takes their business serious will tell you there will always be a some type of rock in the road but you can’t say “oh well let me turn around and give up” you have to find a way around, pick the rock up, jump over it. There DJ pool in Savannah is so vast, so it is imperative to be original and to stand out, have your own sound, your own vibe. As it pertains to my music business as a whole the biggest challenge is ensuring that you are growing and practicing. Read more>>
Isaac Littleton
If I had to pinpoint how I got to where I am today, it’s definitely because of my family. I feel lucky to have had a family that was and is so supportive of my creative ambitions. Having that kind of encouragement early on made it possible for me to keep pursuing filmmaking without hesitation, and it’s something I’m grateful for every day. I think more than anything, having just one person believe in you can make all the difference. Read more>>
Kevontae Kelly
At SSU, I came in hungry to make an impact. I knew I wanted to build a legacy, not just follow a path. From my freshman year, I hit the ground running, quickly becoming known as a powerhouse on campus. Whether I was hosting campus events, directing creative campaigns, or leading student organizations, I always led with energy, intention, and an unwavering belief in the power of Black excellence. Read more>>
Aidan Kam
Studying here has been a big turning point for me. I have been able to learn not just the technical side of accessory design from sketching to 3D modeling and construction but also how to develop my own design language. Being in Savannah gave me the space to really experiment, figure out my aesthetic and push myself to merge creativity with practicality. It’s where I started shaping my vision of modern, minimal luxury design that still feels innovative and personal. Read more>>
Kristian Price
Growing up I’ve always loved music. I was in my church choir, chorus in middle school and marching band in high school. One of my high school friends by the name of Matthew Gresham (Mj Da Kidd) another DJ from Savannah thought me the basics in 2021 and I’ve been going and growing ever since. I also have to give credit to the part that CJ The DJ (my mentor) has played because he’s put me in positions that I’d never thought I’d be in. For example, I had the opportunity to open for Rapper Pastor Troy in 2023. Read more>>
Scott Grove
When I was young, art was always something I was interested in. I’m originally from Pensacola Florida, I found a passion for costume design in my local high school’s theatre program. Through that connection, I came to SCAD looking towards fashion design, but found myself pulled towards a different path. Everything I loved about fashion and costume were the little details that made the piece – the pattern, the texture, the fabric. I immediately fell in love with the Fibers program, a place that combined drawing for print and pattern with more structural technqiues such as weaving, as well as decorative embellishment. Through SCAD, I’ve been able to refine the skills I’ve been interested in, and can’t wait to enter my senior year this fall. Read more>>
