PHOTOGRAPHY-DEJA ROZIER

Deja is an impressive young woman with a plan.  Born in sunny Ft. Lauderdale in 1995, she moved to Atlanta in 2003 when her Mom received a job offer.  I think Deja brought the sun with her in her personality because it is just about as sunny as they come. 

She began working at Nelson Mullins in May 2018 and has aspirations to become a powerhouse attorney who is also recognized as a community leader and socialite.  Deja wants to be a door opener for others, encouraging them to come behind her and inspiring them to follow their own dreams through her actions.  Somehow, I believe her door is going to swing widely, and she will be a positive force for many. 

She is a young lady with a vision to create a non-profit down the road with the mission of shedding light on the challenges that Black and Brown children face in our education and criminal justice systems.  Admitting that the idea itself is a work in progress, she is also very certain that the purpose is clear. 

When asked how she wanted people to remember her, she said that “I hope that my legacy is rooted in humility, self-sacrifice, and truth.  Ultimately, I want to be remembered for being a woman who was kind, considerate, and passionate.  When people reflect on my life and all the things that I was able to accomplish, I want them to be able to say, ‘Deja lived a full life, and she lived on purpose.’” 

When Deja is not working towards her career goals, she enjoys shopping, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with family and friends.  She is a big music enthusiast, stating that music has always been a staple in her life, and she loves making random music playlists almost weekly, classifying it as her hobby. 

Deja, you are amazing.  Twenty-three, beautiful, full of passion and purpose, and living the authentic life you want for yourself.  You, my dear, are going to shine bright like a diamond.  You already do. 

PHOTOGRAPHY-CECE DENNIS

Spunky.  Sassy.  Beautiful.  These are some of the words that have been used to describe Cecelyn “Cece” Dennis.  Cece is a female powerhouse wrapped up in a huge personality.  This woman is going places, that is for sure.

Hailing from the sunny state of Florida, she moved to Atlanta for a change of scenery after graduating from college.  She wanted to take advantage of the phenomenal opportunities the city has to offer for those who are ready to dive in and find the oyster’s pearls.

When asked what she wanted to be when she “grew up,” she stated she wanted to be an internationally-known-and-respected empowerment and transformational speaker who creates a non-profit dedicated to emotional wealth and healing through the arts with youth.  Being the bold visionary type that she is, she quickly added “Move over, Oprah!”

When Cece isn’t working toward pushing Oprah out of her empire, she enjoys creative writing, makeup, time spent in nature, cooking, non-profit work, and leadership empowerment functions (she really can’t stray too far from her vision for too long).  She is also a dedicated thrifter and has a previously-unknown-to-most desire to be a voiceover actor for a Disney film.

Cece’s parting words of wisdom are to BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOU!  Go get em, Cece!

PHOTOGRAPHY-DUY NGUYEN

Duy is a Project Assistant at Nelson Mullins, the law firm where I work.  He has worked on our team for almost a year, beginning in May 2017.  Project Assistants help the paralegals and attorneys with various different projects.  Putting it bluntly, they work their BUTTS off.

He is one of those guys who is very quiet at first, but given time, one learns that he has an incredible personality and sense of humor.  He was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam,  In 2008, his parents were sponsored by his grandparents, and he moved to Atlanta with them. 

Duy will be leaving Atlanta and moving to New York City soon … as he will be volunteering with the Episcopal Service Corp. No doubt, he will make a huge contribution to their efforts.  He likes to read, go out, watch Netflix and work out – not necessarily in that order.  His philosophy on life is to “do unto others as you want to be done to you.”

When asked if he had anything else that he wanted people to know about him, he said that he has a cat who literally entered into his home from the back yard and now claims his house as its personal living quarter. Yep … cats are like that!

I told Duy that he should look up the Humans of New York guy … because he is very comfortable in front of the camera and did a great job!

Go make the world a better place, Duy. I look forward to hearing about your ventures!

PHOTOGRAPHY-GRETCHEN SHANNON

Gretchen is a Senior Operations Assistant at Nelson Mullins, the law firm where I have worked for 16 years.  She has worked with the team I work on since December 2006. 

We on the North Team didn’t think she could possibly do as good of a job as the person who had been handling our operations needs prior to her arrival, and she had some very large shoes to fill.  Indeed, most of us were not pleased at all that our operations assistant was being replaced, and we probably made life a little bit difficult for Gretchen at first.  Sorry, Gretch. 

But, being Gretchen, she persevered and won us over – not only with the quality of her work and her willingness to go above and beyond to ensure our ability to do our jobs to the best of our ability – but also with her winning personality. 

While little in size, her personality is large and in charge, and it is a rare moment when Gretchen cannot be seen laughing and smiling.  She is an amazing little force to be reckoned with, and she has become not only a vital part of our team, but a friend as well.  

When Gretchen is not devoting her time and energy to us on the North Team at work, she likes to travel or just enjoy some down time with her two dogs, Pooch and Starr.  Gretchen’s bubbly personality is a true reflection of who she is and for what she stands.  In her own words, she “tries to live each day to the fullest.  Life is too short for BS.” 

Keep on living large, Gretchen!