 In last week's edition, we celebrated something that made me half-scream in my coworking space… In 2025, we had nearly $90,000 in wishlist essentials and $62,906 worth of items bought by you, our Mafia Miracle Makers! And just when I thought my heart couldn’t get any fuller… another story landed in my inbox. But first... If you're new here, Move-In Day Mafia is a family of volunteers and donors who come together to support HBCU students who have experienced foster care, housing instability, or other major life disruptions. We show up with decked-out dorm rooms and monthly care packages so our scholars can focus on school and make it all the way to graduation. We call our family Mafia Miracle Makers. Because that’s exactly what you do. You set miracles in motion. Soooooo earlier this week, I received a request from one of our Prairie View A&M scholars. Inside, it had a life update that I literally said out loud… Wait. Hold up. You've done WHAT? Apparently, one of our Mafia babies has been out here building a résumé that would make grown folks tired. Listen to this. L.I. is a senior at Prairie View, majoring in Mass Communications with a minor in Political Science. She’s been on the Dean’s Honor List since 2023. Now that’s impressive. Especially when you hear her backstory. But that’s not the part that had me leaning back in my chair. Because when we first met L.I., college wasn’t even part of the plan. At 15 years old she entered the foster care system. Her mother was no longer able to care for her, so when CPS removed her little sister, L.I. made a decision that still gives me chills. She put herself into the system hoping it would help her stay connected to her sister. Read that again. She…put…herself…in…the…system. Just to try to stay close to her little sister. Unfortunately, they were placed separately. When we met L.I., she hadn’t seen her sister in over a year. And college? College wasn’t even on the radar. Her plan was simple. Get a warehouse job. Her words. Not mine. But somewhere along the way another nonprofit stepped into her life and helped expand her vision. They helped her see that something bigger might actually be possible. So she started taking classes at a junior college. And somewhere along the way… Something beautiful happened. She fell in love with learning. Thank goodness. Because noooooow… This young woman is at PV doing the kind of things that make me shake my head and smile. She pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I had no idea. And theeen… She got involved in Student Government. And theeeeen… She worked her way up and is now serving as Chief of Staff for Prairie View’s Student Government Association. And theeeeeeeeen… Because apparently she likes to stay busy… She’s spent the last four years advocating for youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. And theeeeeeeeeeeeen… She helped organize March to the Polls on campus to encourage student voting. The turnout was so strong that it was featured on local news. And somewhere in the middle of all of that? She’s also been featured on Good Morning America, NBC News, and The Atlanta Voice for her advocacy work. But get this...it gets even gooooooder... L.I. IS OFFICIALLY RUNNING FOR STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT OF PRAIRIE VIEW A&M!!!! If elected, she would serve as the 45th SGA President!!!! Yes! Yes! Yes! To Alllllll the Yeses In Yessissippi! Now if you’ve ever experienced campaign season at an HBCU, you already know. It is a whole production. Signs. Events. Campaign materials. Buttons. All the things. Her campaign budget is $1,200, and she reached out to see if our Mafia Family might be willing to stand behind her. And family… This feels like exactly the kind of moment we show up for. If you’d like to support L.I.’s campaign expenses, you can donate here before Saturday, March 14. SUPPORT L.I.’S SGA PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN Every dollar given through that link will go directly toward helping her run her campaign. And yes… your gift is tax-deductible through Move-In Day Mafia.  Every month when our scholars submit their care package requests, they have to finish a sentence. They choose one: “I’m grateful that…” “I’m excited that…” “I’m looking forward to…” So we like to share some with you.   There’s something powerful hiding inside L.I.’s story. Before Prairie View. Before Student Government. Before running for SGA President. There was a moment where someone simply believed she was capable of more. Remember… L.I. didn’t even think college was an option. Her plan was to get a warehouse job and start working. But someone stepped in and told her she was capable of more. And she listened. Sometimes the biggest miracle in someone’s life is simply borrowing someone else’s belief until their own catches up. I know that feeling personally. When I first started Move-In Day Mafia, we had $3,500 in the bank and a wild idea to move students into college dorms. No nonprofit background. No blueprint. No idea how we were going to pull it off. Just a nudge from God and a whole lot of faith. But people started believing in the vision before I fully understood what it could become. They donated. They volunteered. They shared the story. And for a while? I had to hold on to their belief until my own caught up. Now look at what this Mafia family has built together. We've moved in 109 scholars at 28 HBCUs...because of YOU! So if you’re in a season where something feels too big… Too uncertain… Too “who do I think I am to even try this?” Let me remind you of something. Sometimes you don’t need full confidence to start. Sometimes you just need one person who believes you can do it. Borrow that belief. Hold on to it. Walk anyway. Because one day you might look up and realize the thing you were scared to start… Is exactly the thing you were meant to do. And before we wrap up, one quick reminder. Adopt-A-Scholar Week kicks off tomorrow. That’s when our scholars’ monthly wishlists open again, and it’s one of the most direct ways this community shows up for them month after month. Because sometimes the thing that changes someone’s life is simply knowing… Somebody believes in them. And around here? That’s exactly what this family does. If this story made you smile the way it made me smile… Take a second to like, comment, share, and subscribe so more people can see what happens when a community decides to believe in students who are often told they can’t succeed. Because the more people who see this movement… The more yeses we get to give. See you next week. Hug yourself for me! TeeJ |
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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