April 2025 will go down as a major turning point for me.

In just one month, I hosted the first-ever That’s Clearly Wealth (TCW) premiere screening, presented my E5 capstone project, and watched my latest series, Between The Ticks, get shown in a high school Financial Literacy class in PG County, Maryland.

And honestly? I’m tired just writing all that.

Why This Month Mattered

I know I have to stay grounded in this moment, because I certainly didn’t do it all on my own.

The production of Between The Ticks honestly deserves a movie in its own right.
[Maybe I should do that?]

It still blows my mind how many students—many of whom didn’t know me—were willing to be a part of it. A full month of work, wild weather, and constant doubt about whether I really knew what I was doing. Truth is, I didn’t at first. But I did know why I was doing it.

And that why must have mattered, because 15 people showed up and made it happen.

I’ll dive deeper into that another time.

Building the Premiere

About a year after production began, I teamed up with my friend Emily Chan to plan the premiere. Her eye for detail and her no-nonsense honesty ("I don't know about that, Neziah") kept the whole event from spiraling out of control.

Then there’s my on-campus organization, the Minority Business Alliance (MBA), who helped me connect with student orgs and departments to co-sponsor and support the event's marketing. MBA is going to change the U of R campus for the better—no doubt in my mind.

[Side note: Marketing is so important. I forbid any more slander against marketing majors!]

The Big Day(s)

How did I feel the day of the premiere? Grateful.
I didn’t know how many people would come—or if anyone would at all. But once it started, I was just present. The space didn’t exist before, and suddenly, it did.

I also loved the movies as a kid. Now I can say that I did a movie premeire with popcorn, soda, a red carpet...the whole shabang! That's just so cool to me. I feel like I made little me proud that day.

My E5 presentation reflected that spirit. I summed up a year of work: The Exponential Heist, Between The Ticks, all the classes I took. Going in, I expected that by the end, I’d have it all figured out.

Well… I don’t. Not yet. But I feel closer to the goal. Because compared to my older future self, I'm technically "little me" now. I know future me will make me so proud with how we grow from here.

Bringing It to the Classroom

Sharing Between The Ticks with high school students was huge. The point wasn’t to have them praise the work—it was to see what clicked for them, what didn’t, and how I could bridge that gap.

They need this information. Many of them don’t have the life experience to know they need financial literacy. But that doesn’t mean 15 years from now—it means right now.

It's not easy reaching them. But it’s not impossible either. I saw hope in those classrooms. And I saw that I need to keep stepping out of my comfort zone to meet students where they are.

Because I was them. Honestly, sometimes I still am. But I’m working to get better—and to inspire others to do the same.

Final Thoughts

This may not have been the most polished post—but I’m glad I shared it with you. That’s what TCW is all about: making real moments unforgettable.

That’s Clearly Wealth,
Neziah