AN INTERVIEW WITH AYANNAH SALAAM, FOUNDER OF THE NASHER LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP
Ayannah Salaam is a Bronx-born, Harlem bred native New Yorker. Her experience at Sadie Nash Leadership Project spans a range of programming from 2013-2015 starting with Summer Institute, to Community Action Placement and Summer Empowerment Training. Ayannah completed her bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany in 2019 and currently works at Lakeshore Learning Materials as a Procurement Contracts Specialist. When she’s not working you can find her being a foodie and exploring film photography.
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with Ayannah Salaam, Nasher Alumna ‘15 and founder of the Nasher Legacy Scholarship, the focus of our current campaign, “Act with Love, Act for Liberation, Act Together.” Here is what Ayannah had to say:
SNLP: What inspired you to found the Nasher Legacy Scholarship?
AS: Honestly, SNLP poured so much into me and the person that I am today that I wanted to give back to other Nashers that are on a similar journey to the one that I was on. When I was applying to undergrad, I remember how I had to write essays and that was so time consuming, and sharing out trauma and life situations just to get funding didn’t feel right. So I knew I wanted to make the Nasher Legacy Scholarship an easier and safer process.
I envisioned the Nasher Legacy Scholarship after hearing so many Nashers saying “I wish Sadie Nash was a school.” I also knew that a lot of Nashers were interested in higher education, so I reached out to past Nashers and faculty member Mickey to help me with ideas. This happened at the same time of Nasher alum Shelly-Ann's passing and I wanted to take this opportunity to honor her legacy and incorporate that into the scholarship.
SNLP: What are your hopes for the future of the scholarship?
AS: Definitely to have the financial ability to keep it going and help as many Nashers as we can. Not everyone has the means to pursue higher education, but just feeling supported can go a long way. My hope is to give young women and gender-expansive youth the financial means to seed their dreams even in a small way. I want to do as much as I can to help bring those dreams to life.
SNLP: Tell us about your time as a Nasher.
AS: Once a Nasher always a Nasher-- it’s really a lifetime thing. In 2013 my introduction to Sadie Nash was through Summer Institute [SNLP’s rigorous six-week summer program in which Nashers are introduced to college-level courses, visiting leaders, and field trips]. Then I came back and did CAP [our previous program Community Action Placement, a hands-on, paid internship opportunity and job readiness program] and was placed as an intern at Sadie Nash and then did SET [our previous program Summer Empowerment Training, an advanced leadership intensive that built on the Summer Institute curriculum] in 2015.
I learned so much. Being a high school student and attending regular classes, there was so much I didn’t know. Through Sadie Nash I was able to apply feminism / womanism and activism to my life. A common theme was the encouragement to be unapologetically you, to accept yourself as you are, that what you say matters, and that you can be the change you want to see.
I also learned about the strength of sisterhood, and how important that is to navigate life. I am 1 of 5, I have 4 brothers and never had an actual sister- and that was what I was seeking. At Sadie Nash we supported each other, offering that safe space to heal, building a community where you are comfortable to be yourself. No matter what, you knew you would walk out with 65 sisters, and I’m still in touch with most of them. That’s what Sadie Nash did for me and I'm grateful that I was able to experience that.
SNLP: What accomplishments are you most proud of?
AS: I’m proud of my ability to have a goal and accomplish it and work towards something, whether that’s creating this scholarship, or moving to California even when I could have easily dismissed that dream, or getting my new job and increasing my salary. I’m proud of being able to go places and create community.
I don’t tend to acknowledge my accomplishments. I should do that more and celebrate these wins. I’m working on that. I would say, if you have a goal in mind, see it through. None of your goals are out of reach. Do it!
SNLP: What does liberation mean to you?
AS: My interpretation of liberation and what I would like to see is Black people not being oppressed and having the capacity to live freely and without trauma.
June is also pride month and I identify as bisexual. Liberation in this context means that people get to show up authentically, to live freely and love freely, not worry about being discriminated against.
All of us should be able to coexist without boundaries and barriers and release the physical and metaphorical chains.
SNLP: What’s one thing you learned at Sadie Nash that continues to resonate with you today?
AS: In high school, we had no knowledge about womanism, respectability politics, or navigating NYC and the street harrassment, racial profiling, cat calling that came with it. Sadie Nash gave me the means to fight back and provided us with the tools and learning that I still use today.
The other thing is the concept of intersectionality, knowing that things don’t have to be one way, and that you can embrace all your identities, that they can be intertwined.
SNLP: What advice do you have for this year’s Nasher Legacy Scholars?
AS: A couple of things:
Stay connected with Nasher siblings and Sadie Nash- you can give back to the community by being a dean, working at SNLP- don’t forget your community.
Don’t be afraid to take risks- life doesn’t end after college and be aware that you are never going to be in that space again. Have your fun, study and party, maximize your resources, network across and work towards your goals. It can all be done.
Don’t be afraid to change or reinvent yourself. There are infinite possibilities of how to show up in this world. You get to pick.
Just be you. Stay unapologetic. Don’t commit to society's idea of how to show up. Don’t shrink yourself and avoid imposter syndrome. Remember, you belong here, you have reason to be here. Know yourself, know your worth.
Advocate for yourself to provide what you need in that moment because no one else will know what you really need, accept you.
And in general, enjoy this time, this moment. Take advantage of all the possibilities that you are presented with… and study abroad.
Help us support Nashers as they make their way through college. Donate to the Nasher Legacy Scholarship here.