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Denia Brielle Smith

@deniasmith_

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Jesus Saves †
Harvard | American Uni
@sheshallspeak

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4/16/23 ✝️ 🌊
(testimony below)

Before I came to God, I felt lost and confused. Although I grew up going to church, I perceived Christianity through the realm of religion rather than focusing on developing a relationship with God. As I got older and struggled with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, I found it harder to come to God. My life changed during the pandemic, when quarantine coupled with social isolation sparked unfettered anxieties within me. I turned to God in surrender, knowing that I couldn’t lead this life on my own. One night, I opened TikTok— a common pastime during COVID— and saw that my feed was flooded with Christian content despite never seeing such content before. I took it as a sign, and committed my time to growing stronger in my faith and starting a relationship with God. Over the past three years, I have and continue to learn what it means to know God intricately, to be in Christ-like community with others, and to find perfect peace in Him. Today, I’m free from the chains of anxiety, depression, and suicide, and have been blessed with a life of freedom and purpose in Christ. I’m ready to be more vocal with my faith, and am blessed to be here today. taken in Washington D. C. by @deniasmith_

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4 years ago

🏈✨ by @deniasmith_

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13 days ago

choose ur character 🕹️ taken in Old San Juan Puerto Rico by @deniasmith_

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2 months ago

🇵🇷 taken in Old San Juan Puerto Rico by @deniasmith_

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3 months ago

22 years!! thank you Jesus 🤍 by @deniasmith_

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5 months ago

B.A. in Political Science (Gender, Race, & Politics)
Minor in African American & African Diaspora Studies
Certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies

Masters loading… 👀✨ by @deniasmith_

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5 months ago

After receiving offers from the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles, The Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley (full ride!), and the Harvard Kennedy School, I’m thrilled and blessed to attend Harvard University this Fall to receive my Master in Public Policy… FULLY FUNDED!!!! No loans, no stress, truly a blessing from above. ❤️

This has been a long journey, and all I can say is Thank you, Jesus! Everything I have ever done has been the result of Christ in me. I praise Him for keeping me through every sleepless night and moments of stress and anxiety. All glory to Him! Thank you to my family, my sisters in Christs, my mentors, and everyone who has provided wisdom to guide me along the way.

My journey began six years ago after the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery at the hands of police violence. From organizing marches to working in and outside of government, my purpose is to advance racial and gender justice through policy reform on the state and local level. I’m excited to use this degree to examine how to advance just solutions to policing and combat structural racism in the US criminal justice system.

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬ taken in Harvard Kennedy School by @deniasmith_

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7 months ago

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”- ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭10‬ ‭

All glory to God for bringing me to the end of this journey a semester early! Everything that I have done is a testament to His grace and mercy.

🎓 Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Minor in African American Studies, Certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies, Summa Cum Laude

🏛️ White House Internship Program & Intern @ the Office of Congresswoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman
👩🏽‍💻 Intern with the African American Policy Forum, Vital Voices Global Partnership, The Coalition on Urban Girls - Chicago, and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
🌎 Spoke at the United Nations & advocated for gender justice with Girl Up & the United Nations Foundation
🩸 Advocated for menstrual equity as a youth advisor at PERIOD.
🎙️Started my own podcast and youth nonprofit (@sheshallspeak)
📣 Director, Students for Change. Co-President, Black Student Union. Director of Campus Security, Student Government. Orientation Leader. Campus Security Working Group Student Representative.
🩷 Spring 2025 initiate of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
✨ Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service
✨ Junior Summer Institute Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Public Policy & International Affairs
✨ Harry S. Truman Scholarship Finalist
✨ John Robert Lewis Scholar, Faith & Politics Institute
✨ Women Empowering Nations Legacy Award Recipient & GLOW Global Fellow
✨Power 50 Honoree, Black Professionals in International Affairs
✨ Taco Bell Ambition Accelerator, Taco Bell Foundation & Ashoka
✨ Vital Voices Visionary Fellow, Vital Voices and the Estée Lauder Emerging Leaders Fund
✨ Write Her Future Scholar, NAACP & Lancome
✨ Elizabeth A. Sherman Prize for the Advancement of Social Justice
✨ Pi Sigma Alpha, National Political Science Honors Society
✈️ 8 states and 2 countries for speaking engagements, conferences & work-travel experiences

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” - ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭ taken in American University by @deniasmith_

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10 months ago

digitized 📸 by @deniasmith_

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a year ago

you gotta strut like you mean it 🐆 taken in Barcelona, Cataluña, España by @deniasmith_

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a year ago

the only ten i see 🎸🎶 taken in Memphis, Tennessee by @deniasmith_

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a year ago

taken in Cambridge, Massachusetts by @deniasmith_

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a year ago