Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.

Manu Olito Eleyi

I was born in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, and my upbringing was shaped by the unique experiences of living both there and in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Read more >>

Alex Salazar

I was born and raised in Patterson, New Jersey, but I spent my formative years in the 864 area. Currently, I reside in Greenville, SC, and I am grateful for the impact it has had on shaping my identity. My cultural background is rooted in my Latino heritage, as both my parents were born and raised in Peru. My father, a talented singer, has his own Salsa band called “Son Del Callao,” which greatly influenced my early musical preferences. Through him, I was exposed to a wide range of genres, spanning from Akon to Chris Brown, Notorious, Marc Anthony, and Don Omar. Read more >>

Stacey Frazer

I was born in Kingston, Jamaica and migrated to the states when I was 7 years old. My parents ingrained in all their children the importance of an education and how far it could take us. Though college was not an option in the household, the importance of a having a good work ethic was displayed 10 fold by seeing how hard our parents worked to provide for their family. All they wanted was to create a better life for their children and hope that being in the states would afford opportunities that being back home would not have. A Pediatric Dentist, an award winning Director, and an accomplished musician, all college graduates, I’d say our parents succeeded in establishing a better life for their children. Read more >>

Beau Nettles

I’m from Montgomery, Alabama. A very historical city for reasons that I’m not to proud of. My background which basically working with my Dad taught me the value of a dollar and having your own. Also that you get what you work for, as well as hard work pays off. It made me self sufficient and also groomed me to be the hardworking provider I am today. Read more >>

Eddy Roberts

Well I’m from small town on the eastern shore of Maryland. Usually when you tell people you’re from Maryland, their first response is “Oh you from Baltimore?!” haha, nah. Although I do have plenty of friends, family, and memories there, I was raised in a suburban yet country like area. A town where everybody knows everybody and there’s not a lot of opportunities there, but It will always be a place to call home. I knew early on that I wasn’t meant to stay there, I always felt God had other plans for me, but I just never knew what or how I would get to it. Read more >>

Deja Craft

I am originally from New Orleans and moved to Georgia due to hurricane Katrina. I think my upbringing and my hometown has had an extremely positive impact on where I am now. New Orleans kind of teaches you to have this “hustle hard” mentality. You just know you have to work harder than most because many automatically assume you aren’t educated, professional or esteemed because you come from such a small city where not too many opportunities are afforded to you. I love my hometown, but there’s not too many people who make it out because of the things they had/have to do to survive. Read more >>

Haley Edwards

Wow, what a big question… I am originally from Murphy, North Carolina, but I moved to Sylvania, Georgia in middle school where I stayed until I graduated high school. I originally planned on going to college (which I did go for three years) for sociology in hopes of becoming a social worker. I started a job right out of high school with a company that I planned on working just as a receptionist but ended up being trained and licensed as an esthetician. A little background on why I wanted to do social work originally is because I was raised in foster homes for the majority of my childhood/teenage years.. Read more >>

Bresha Durham

I am from Atlanta, GA; raised in East Point and relocated to Clayton County. Being the youngest of five children, I looked up to all of my siblings for inspiration. Each of them had their own unique path. I wanted mine to be as special as theirs. I didn’t start graphic designing right away. I started out selling lashes and anklets and named my business ‘Branded by Bresh’. I didn’t have the budget to pay anyone to do my flyers and social media content, so I started doing them myself. I created my own website, logo, and e-flyers and that is how I fell in love with graphic designing and named my company what it is today: Bresha Designs. Read more >>