 And I need you to understand what that actually means before I tell you she made the Dean's List. Because if I lead with the honor roll, you might nod and keep scrolling. And B.C.'s story? It is not a scroll-past story. So let me back up. This is Week 3 of a series we're calling The Finish Line & The Front Door. At Move-In Day Mafia, we move in and take care of HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused or struggle with financial hardships. Annnnnnd this spring... We have FIVE seniors graduating! The most we've ever had. Five young people who pushed through the hard days, the confusing days, the "I genuinely don't know how I'm going to make this work" days and are now standing right there at the finish line. And at the exact same time, applications just opened for our 2026-27 school year. Our fifth move-in season. So while one group is about to walk across a stage, another group is standing at the door ready to begin their new journey. That's what this series is about. Both moments. At the same time. Because if you really want to understand what Move-In Day Mafia is, you have to see both. She Was Six Years Old. B.C. entered the foster care system at six years old. Domestic violence. Family chaos. Domestic violence. Family chaos. Neglect so deep that B.C. couldn't tie her own shoes. Could not spell. The neglect hadn't just stolen her stability. It had stolen her start. She was already behind before she ever had a fair shot at the race. And the system was about to keep right on moving without her. She was days away from becoming a ward of the state. Another child absorbed by circumstances she didn't create and could not control but thankfully... Her grandparents stepped in. They were elderly. They were not equipped with a lot of resources. But they showed up. And B.C. began to thrive. Her beginning didn't stop her. She made the Dean's List at Benedict College. Not one semester. Not one year. All ...four...years! Every. Single. Semester. The little girl who couldn't tie her shoes. Who couldn't spell. Who the system had already started processing as a statistic. She walked into Benedict College and stayed on the Dean's List the entire time she was there. That is not something you do by accident. That doesn't happen because things were easy. That happens because somewhere deep in B.C., something decided she was not going to be what happened to her. And she proved it over and over and over again. But that's just the Dean's List part. While she was keeping that GPA locked, she was also building somewhere else. Spring 2024, B.C. crossed into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Not just a member sitting on the sidelines. She's Treasurer of her chapter and Recording Secretary for the entire National Pan-Hellenic Council. That's not something you stumble into. That's` something you earn when people see that you show up and follow through. And her senior year? She didn't just stay on the Dean's List. She made the President's List. That's a whole other level. She's excelling. And she's not done yet! Graduate school is next. MBA with a concentration in healthcare administration. She's going to work in public health. She's going to do it with the same focus that got her from "I can't tie my shoes" to the President's List. Small Things Have Big Impact This is your moment too. When you grabbed Vaseline lotion and Dove lotion so her skin could breathe after four years of stress and late nights… When you sent Quaker Instant Oatmeal so she had something quick on mornings when studying came before breakfast… When you made sure she had those fruit juices she loves...little tastes of sweetness on the days that felt too hard… And when you said yes to that Chefman 6-quart air fryer when she asked for something special. Not a need. A want. Because you believed she'd deserved it. When you grabbed what was on her list… When you made sure she had what she needed to focus on school instead of survival… You were part of this. Not symbolically. Not in a "every little bit helps" kind of way. In a real, tangible, "she had one less thing to worry about so she could keep her eyes on that Dean's List" kind of way. Honor roll doesn't happen in a vacuum. It happens when a student can actually focus. When the basics are handled. When somebody, even somebody she's never met, sends a care package that says without saying it: We see you. You matter. Keep going. That was you. So yes. This graduation belongs to B.C. And you and I get to be proud of it too.   Usually, we show you words from various scholars, but this week, we're sharing B.C.'s voice directly. Because sometimes what a scholar says about herself tells you everything you need to know.  B.C. Is Finishing… Somebody Else Is Just Starting. While B.C. is walking toward the finish line, applications are open right now for our next class. Somewhere, a student is sitting in their own version of what B.C. survived. Maybe they aged out of foster care. Maybe they're unhoused. Maybe they're the oldest sibling holding a weight no teenager should be holding. And they are wondering how they are gonna survive in the college they worked so hard to get into. Well, we're opening the door. Applications for the 2026-27 move-in season are now open. If you know of a scholar we can help, have them head over to 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Apply Your support this move-in season makes sure the next class doesn't have to wonder if they belong. This is how Mafia works. We hold both moments. We celebrate the finish line. And we stand at the front door, ready for whoever's coming next. Help us celebrate five graduating seniors: 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Be part of welcoming the next class: 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Apply  Give yourself the freedom to evolve. I didn't want to be nobody's leader. I was a TV editor and producer in Hollywood for nearly 30 years. I loved that work. I really did. I still miss it sometimes. That was my lane. Supporting leaders. Creating behind the scenes. I was good at it and I knew my place in that world. I loved being a team player. Running a nonprofit? Leading a movement? Being the one the buck stops with? That was never on my radar. I didn't want that life. But then I met a girl who'd aged out of foster care. Just dropped off at college with nothing. And something shifted in me. What if I said yes to becoming something I never planned to be...scared and all? What if I gave myself permission to evolve beyond the version of myself I'd already decided I was? Here's what I know now: God knows His kids. He knew what would make my heart happy. While I loved my career in Hollywood and miss it every once in a while, I couldn't imagine NOT being the Godfather of Move-In Day Mafia. Today, 109 students across 28 HBCUs are thankful that I got over my fears and insecurities...just for them. I mean...FIVE of my babies are graduating! Your next chapter is waiting too. It might look nothing like what you planned. It might scare you. You might have to grieve the version of yourself you thought you'd be. But what would happen if you stopped apologizing for who you used to be and started celebrating who you're becoming? Give yourself that freedom. The world needs what happens when you do. Hug yourself for me. If this made you think about something... or someone... go ahead and share it. You never know who might need that reminder today. And if you're not already part of the Mafia Miracle Makers family, make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss what's coming next. I'll see you next week. And before you go... don't forget, we've got five seniors getting ready to walk across that stage. If you want to be part of that moment... 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Hug yourself for me! TeeJ "The Godfather" Founder, Move-In Day Mafia P.S. If you missed A.O.'s story from last week, you can read it HERE.  The Finish Line & The Front Door: Week 2 Continuing our series spotlighting the incredible dopeness of our graduating seniors, I am excited to tell you about one of our future doctors. But first...if you're new to Mafia Miracles Report... Move-In Day Mafia is a family that supports HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or are navigating severe financial hardship. We don’t just move them in… we stay with them for four years, covering the monthly essentials most people never think about so they can focus on becoming who they’re called to be. Around here, we call that H.U.G.S. — Hope, Understanding, Generosity, and Stability. And this series? The Finish Line & The Front Door is about holding two truths at the same time. During this season, some of our babies are crossing the stage. And at the very same time… our applications are now open, and our potential new babies are standing at the door of college with anxiety about all that is next. Last week, I told you about A.J. who is graduating from Fisk. This week? It's A.O. from Delaware State. A.O. was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and made her way to the U.S. just a few years ago, under circumstances that didn’t exactly come with stability or a safety net. She didn’t arrive with everything lined up. She arrived, trying to figure it out. New country. New systems. New expectations. And no real blueprint for how to navigate any of it. She landed in Delaware, building a life in real time… learning how to take care of herself while also trying to stay on track in school. And that’s the part people don’t always see. Because by the time you meet her now, she looks like she’s always had it together. Senior year at Delaware State. Studying for the MCAT. Pediatrician on deck. Yaaaaaas. Because for most people, that right there would already be enough to celebrate. But baaaaaaaaby… we’re not done. Because she’s doing ALL of this while being unhoused. You read that right. UNHOUSED. Now to be clear, thankfully, Delaware State has policies in place that allow students in her situation to remain on campus during breaks, which has made a real difference. But even with that… That’s not the same as having a true home base. That’s not the same as knowing you have a permanent space to land, to exhale, to fully rest without question. There’s still a level of uncertainty there. Still a level of “how am I going to keep this going?” And she’s carrying all of that while balancing classes, leadership, and studying for the MCAT. Yet, instead of slowing down… instead of saying “let me wait until things get easier”… A.O. said, “Nope… we're moving anyway.” And THAT is what made me lean all the way in. Because she’s not moving like someone hoping this works out. She’s moving like it already did. And while she’s carrying all of that… Maaaaaaan, you gotta see what she's been up to...straight beast mode: • Maintaining a 3.8 GPA as a Biological Science major (health professions) with a minor in chemistry • Holding it DOWN on the Dean’s List for three years and now the Presidential List • Inducted into Delaware State’s Honors Program • Serving as Vice President and Event Manager for the African Student Association • Creating and leading Hive Wars 2026, a campus-wide experience that brought competition, community, and a canned food drive together • Building her own clothing brand, Chosen Generation, rooted in faith and identity • Working in a campus lab and herbarium to deepen her research skills So yeah...A.O. is no joke… I mean, she has been putting in the WORK to get there. Not halfway. Not sometimes. CONSISTENTLY. SO YEAH...YOU SHOULD BE PROUD TOO! When you bought those Capri Suns and those big boxes of Welch’s fruit snacks, you were making sure she had something to grab in between long study sessions and even longer days. When you sent those Scott paper towels and toilet paper, you handled the kind of everyday needs that don’t get talked about, but make all the difference when you’re trying to hold life together. When I saw those BC powders on one of her monthly lists, I’m not even gonna lie… I laughed. I didn’t even know they still made BC. And how does she even know about those?! And when you saw that pink stethoscope, those pink scrubs, and that graduation dress she asked for…  You sowed into her and let her know she was not alone. And whether you look at this way or not… YOU have been part of her getting to this moment, Mafia Miracle Maker. That’s how A.O. made it to the finish line. So yeah… You should be proud, too. Now, as a family, we’ve got one more step We’ve got FIVE seniors getting ready to walk, and we’re covering everything (graduation fees, regalia, gifts) they need for that moment. If you want to be part of that… 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Real Quick… I Need To Correct Something Last week, I told you we had six seniors graduating this spring. That was on me. One of our babies is in a Master’s program and still has more coursework to finish, so her walk is coming in the Fall. And you already know… We’re going to walk all the way through with her. So this spring, we’re celebrating FIVE. And FIVE is still a big deal.  Usually, this section shares screenshots from a variety of our scholars but in celebration of A.O., here are a few of hers.   I’ve been sitting with something lately. 2026 feels different. This is our 5th Move-In Season, and for a long time, I was just trying to get through the season in front of me. Make sure the rooms were done. Make sure our babies had what they needed. Just… make it. But now? We know this works. Lives have been changed. Students are still in school, still standing, still becoming. And once you know that, you can’t think the same anymore. I’ve found myself asking a different question: Not just, “How do we do this again?” But, “How do we make sure this keeps going?” Not just while I’m here… But beyond me. Because this work is too important to be dependent on one person. And if I’m honest, that realization stretched me. It made me look at what I need to grow into, what I need to let go of, and what I need to trust someone else to carry. Because growth isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it’s about building something that can keep going without you. And I think that’s where a lot of us are. There comes a point where it stops being about getting through the moment… And starts being about what lasts. So if things feel different right now… They probably are. And that’s not a bad thing. It might just mean what you’re building is meant to last. If this made you think about something… or someone… go ahead and share it. You never know who might need that reminder today. And if you’re not already part of the Mafia Miracle Makers family, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss what’s coming next. I’ll see you next week. And before you go… don’t forget, we’ve got five seniors getting ready to walk across that stage. If you want to be part of that moment… 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Hug yourself for me! P.S. If you missed A.J.'s story from last week, you can read it here. |
AuthorTEEJ MERCER - TeeJ never set out to be an entrepreneur. She definitely didn’t plan to run a nonprofit. But after 25 years in Hollywood, editing and producing for major TV shows and movie studios, she saw a story that needed to be told. More importantly, she saw a PROBLEM that needed to be solved. Archives
April 2026
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