Mafia Scholars Shine, Soar, and Succeed...Because of YOU!

Mafia Miracle Makers (MMM)! When you help us move in our scholars every August, it is just the beginning of our journey with them. It's the monthly miracles you help us manifest for them that create a more massive impact in their lives. 

Ever since we launched #AdoptAScholar back in January, y’all have been showing all the way out! Month after month, y'all have either wiped the lists clean as a hungry uncle at a church picnic ooooor we came really, really close to a wipe out...proving that when this family moves, we move...just like that.

Now, if you are new to Mafia...we are a nonprofit committed to providing decked-out dorm rooms and monthly care packages to HBCU scholars who've aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or face severe financial obstacles. For 2025-26, we are supporting 60 students at 25 HBCUs.

Aaaaaaaand...

Here we are on Day 4 of October's #AdoptAScholar Week, and although there are plenty of items left, the Mafia Miracle Makers have already cleared out stacks of snacks, deodorant, underwear, books, and even cast-iron skillets (because these babies are throwin’ down in the kitchen).

Every item you grab this week is more than a gift; it’s a reminder to our scholars that somebody’s got their back. And I don’t want you to miss the joy of knowing exactly how your love is changing lives. So in this edition, we’re flipping the script because you deserve to hear #StraightFromTheScholars.

Let me introduce you to three of our Mafia Scholars who are out here turning resilience into results.


HK — From Houseless to Grad School

When HK first came to us, she was a senior at Bethune-Cookman. Brilliant. Focused. And homeless.

The daughter of two moms who stopped supporting her after freshman year, she hustled her way through college - couch surfing, applying for scholarships, and refusing to quit.

When it was time for her Mafia interview last year, she had to beg her moms, who had put her out, to let her come over to use their bedroom for 30 minutes. That was the only quiet space she had.

But guess what???

HK GRADUATED IN MAAAAAAAY! Our baby did it!

She’s a Bethune-Cookman GRADUATE!

And now?

She's in grad school at the prestigious Florida A&M (FAMU), working toward becoming a counseling psychologist for Black and Brown communities.

Her wishlist this month says everything about her journey:

🧠 A whiteboard for planning grad assignments
🖱️ A mouse for those late-night study sessions
💪🏾 A heating pad for nights her body is tired from pushing through

Because of you, MMM, HK’s not just surviving; she’s thriving!

You can grab those items from the FAMU wish list at MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar by Tuesday, October 21st.

BK – From Surviving to Shining at Clark Atlanta

When BK packed up her life in San Francisco and came to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta, she wasn’t just chasing a degree; she was chasing peace. 

Before Move-In Day Mafia ever met her, she had already filed for emancipation and lived on her own for two years. Her dad had been in and out of jail, but this baby? She’s rewriting her own story.

Now a sophomore, BK’s got her eyes locked on becoming a criminal defense attorney because she’s determined to fight for justice from the inside out.

When she’s not studying, she recharges by writing poetry, working out, going to church, and shopping...a whole mix of grace, grit, and glow-up energy.

And baaaaaaaby what a glow-up!

Our BK is on Clark-Atlanta's royal court and if you are familiar with HBCU culture, then you know THAT'S HUGE!

Her current wishlist this month includes her fave Dove soap, a cashmere vanilla candle, and snacks like Cheez-Its and belVita biscuits — small comforts that remind her she deserves softness too.

You can grab those items for BK and more from the Clark Atlanta wishlist at MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar by Tuesday, October 21st.

​RK - From Chaos to the City of Lights with a Stop at Disney World
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When we first met RK as a freshman heading to Prairie View A&M, she was quiet but focused, with a dream that felt too big for her circumstances. She grew up in Los Angeles in a home marked by domestic violence, but she decided early that her past would not dictate her future.

This young determined scholar told us in her interview that her goal was to study abroad.

Ooooooweee MMM and guess what????

Right now... 

OUR BABY IS A JUNIOR STUDYING COMPUTER SCIENCE IN PARIS!

RK HIT HER GOAL! Can you feel me beaming?

She's fluent in French, thriving in her program, and living the dream she once whispered to me during her interview.

Last summer, she interned at Disney World, helping code for the Princess Tiana ride. This dynamo went from surviving chaos to literally helping design magic.

Because RK is overseas for the semester, she doesn’t have a physical wishlist. Instead, we send her $250 every month so she can get what she needs while abroad.

Oh, and fun fact? Halloween is her favorite holiday. You can bet she’ll be over there celebrating spooky season with Parisian flair and that signature Mafia glow.

You can help RK keep thriving by donating at MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate ooooooor choose items on any of the other wishlists since we support 60 scholars at 25 HBCUs!

MMM, these three stories are just a glimpse of what your love makes possible—real students, real victories, real lives changed. From scholars studying abroad in Paris to first-generation grads now in master’s programs, and even those balancing school, work, and internships, every one of them is a living, breathing Miracle In Motion.

When I first started Move-In Day Mafia, I didn’t know how we’d do it. I just knew God told me to start.

And now look, MMM, our babies are leading student organizations, serving on royal courts, making the honor roll, acing midterms, and walking into purpose with confidence. That’s what happens when obedience meets community, when faith meets family, when love refuses to quit.

Let’s keep building miracles, one wishlist at a time (by the 21st.)

MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar

​Mafia Miracle Maker, when I launched Move-In Day Mafia, I wasn’t trying to build an organization. I was building a family. A family that surrounds our scholars with love, hope, and belonging.

And in every real family, everybody contributes based on what they can. Some folks bring the feast, others bring the forks. But when everybody brings something, nobody leaves hungry.

That’s what you’ve done here. Some of y’all buy $2 snacks. Some buy $20 detergent. Some buy $200 in gift cards. But each of our Mafia Miracle Makers shows up with love.

And speaking of family, whenever there’s a potluck, my people don't trust me in the kitchen. They just hand me the assignment for ice, drinks, or paper goods. Because listen... I can’t cook to save my life.

But let’s be real...what good is Grandma’s mac and cheese if nobody remembers the forks?

So here’s your reminder for the week: you don’t have to do everything to make an impact. You just have to do your thing, faithfully.

Whether it’s in your home, your job, your dream, or your community...when everybody brings what they can, lack has no seat at the table.

Let me know what you think. In the meantime, Adopt A Scholar Week closes October 21st! So whether you have a budget of $3 or $300, we need you.

👉 MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar