Emmaya Reed (Nottingham, 2019) is a phoenix rising. A violinist who performed with Nottingham’s award-winning advanced band, and an aspiring psychiatric nurse, Emmaya has a talent for the performing arts and a passion for helping people. Emmaya is full of grit and determination and has pushed through every obstacle that tried to sink her in order to find her inner strength and pride as a strong black woman.
As the only violinist in Nottingham’s advanced band, Emmaya helped the ensemble earn the prestigious “Gold” rating from the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) annual adjudication festival. “Emmaya’s work was particularly impressive because as the lone string player in a wind ensemble she had to learn music that was not designed for her instrument,” said instructor Eric Petit-McClure. “She worked really hard to sound like part of our ensemble and blended herself in seamlessly. I enjoyed having her kind, caring, and intense personality in the group. She was never shy to share her ideas and push students around her to be better.“ Emmaya also performed with the Nottingham orchestra and choir, and participated in the drama club.
That kind and caring personality is driving Emmaya toward a career helping others, especially black and brown youth. “They don’t have a safe place,” she said. “I ain’t talking about ‘oh you a little snowflake.’ No, I’m talking about they see this stuff in the streets. They see their friends getting killed. They got PTSD. They need to have someone they can talk to. I want to be one of those people when I grow up who they can talk to, because this stuff is inside of them all the time. I just want to let them know you’re gonna be alright. We’re here for you. You ain’t gotta be alone in this. You ain’t gotta be hard or nothing like that.”
Emmaya is attending Onondaga Community College, and plans to transfer to a four-year school to work towards becoming a psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She has volunteered at Crouse Hospital and Syracuse VA Medical Center. Emmaya learned first hand how crucial it is to have caring and relatable adults in helping professions. At the age of 13, she lost her mother and she struggled with depression. “It was a hard, hard road from middle school until now,” Emmaya said. She credits her inner strength, a spiritual practice, and a caring teacher who made a powerful impact on her self image for turning her life around.
Mrs. Elliot was one of a small handful of black teachers at Nottingham and created the district’s first African American History curriculum. “She really cares about the people of color youth in the Syracuse schools,” said Emmaya. “Mrs. Elliot taught me just to stop hiding myself. Stop hiding the fact that I talk a certain way, I am a certain way, and to love that part about me, and that it mostly had to do with me accepting I’m just a black woman here in America, and it’s not going to be an easy road. She helped me realize that I’m worth more than I think I am. She helped me be alright with not having my mom in my life, my sexuality, and all of that. I’m comfortable in my skin. I’m comfortable being a black woman, and I’m comfortable being me”
What is your advice to next year’s incoming freshmen? “Get y’all work done! I’m going to keep it real with you, it’s going to get hard, and 10th grade is probably going to be your hardest year. But once you get all that stuff done, your last two years here is going to be a breeze. Don’t get caught up in the moment ‘Oh I’m this type of person’ or ‘I’m that type of person.’ You’re yourself. Be yourself. Be comfortable with who you are, be comfortable with the way you speak. Don’t code switch. Be you. I always learned that the man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all. You’re always learning.”
Click here to read more We Are Syracuse – SCSD Class of 2019 profiles.
