Building a bond beyond the classroom
SDSU Meeting and Event Management master’s program creates a sisterhood bond between first cohort members.
They call themselves Black Girl Magic. A friend group brought together by San Diego State University’s Meeting and Event Management (MEM) master’s program created a powerful sisterhood.
SDSU’s inaugural cohort of the MEM program was in 2019, and five women from across the country traveled to attend in-person orientation. Kiersten Walker (‘20), Deanna Roberts (‘20), Sandra Serrant (‘20), Javanni Kiezer (‘20), and Loretta Adikhai (‘22) gathered on campus to meet mentors, faculty, staff and fellow students in the program.
“We are not the same five ladies that walked on SDSU's campus five years ago. We got to witness each other grow and change, struggle and triumph,” said Walker.
Housed under the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, the mostly online program is designed to transform meeting professionals into business event strategists.
The women, the only Black students in their cohort, were building relationships with various members in the program from different ethnicities and backgrounds, but their connections with one another were only getting deeper and stronger.
“These ladies reminded me of my mom, my sister and my girlfriends. In an industry where planners of color are sorely underrepresented, finding a few familiar faces can definitely make you feel more at home,” said Walker.
They found a sisterhood within the program. They named their group Black Girl Magic.
“This special connection wasn't just about academic collaboration, it was about forming a network of unwavering support and friendship,” said Kiezer.
Staying Connected
Despite living in completely different states, the women have made an effort to keep their friendships active through periodic Zoom cocktail hours, phone calls and texts.
“The bonds of sisterhood are among the most extraordinary things I love about life. My Black Girl Magic sisters made my SDSU experience unforgettable,” said Roberts.
In June 2020, the strength of their friendship was shown when Adikhai had heart surgery. The members of the Black Girl Magic group rallied around her, calling for updates and providing assistance to Adikhai’s daughter throughout her recovery.
“I will never forget that kindness. Additionally, they continued to encourage me to complete my program even after they had graduated,” said Adikhai.
After Adikhai recovered, she completed the program with a different cohort in the spring of 2022 — two years after the others — thanks to the unwavering support of her friends.
Shortly after they all completed the program, the friends participated in a ‘Secret Sista Exchange,’ instead of a ‘Secret Santa Exchange,’ in which they all purchased hand-picked Christmas gifts for one another. Roberts bought the friends custom Black Girl Magic t-shirts to commemorate the bond they shared.
“Our Black Girl Magic sisterhood meant the world to me and us,” said Roberts. “From a global pandemic to heightened racial injustice to an intense political climate, our sisterhood helped us stay afloat and positive during these times.”
Never too late
To Adikhai, the program shows it’s never too late to achieve a personal goal.
“I started the MS MEM when I was 61 years old. I think I may have been the oldest person in the class,” she said. “However, everyone made me feel welcomed.”
Over the past five years, phone calls and Zoom meetings may have slowed down a little bit, but the friends always look out for one another when visiting someone else's city or try to connect when attending industry functions.
Since graduating from the program, the friends have gone on to redefine their careers in event management. They continue to celebrate their achievements and success with one another.
“It has been inspiring to see the talent and success of other Black women in the meetings and events industry,” said Kiezer. “Their achievements drive me to keep pushing and striving to reach my own goals.”
For more information on the program, visit the Master's in Meeting and Event Management program page.
