One would expect someone carrying the load of a triple major to have little time for anything else. That’s why talking to Samira Malik gives one the impression that she has 36 hours in her day. Aside from maintaining a 3.5 GPA with a triple major in electrical engineering, mathematics and physics, she has found time to take on various leadership roles. As if that’s not enough, the former Tuskegee cheerleader still manages to enjoy herself. "I’m not the type that you only see in class. In fact, on the weekend I’m at all the social events," Malik said. She says that she’s not exactly sure how, but she manages to accomplish things that other people find difficult. "People say ‘oh no you can’t do that or that’s hard’ and when you look up I’m doing it," she said.

Leader of a team of her peers while interning at NASA, Junior Class President, and chair of Tuskegee University’s first Basketball Homecoming committee are only a few of Malik’s roles that exemplify the range of her leadership responsibilities. She has also demonstrated strong corporate, academic and social leadership skills. 

Malik’s leadership philosophy revolves around finding the good in others and motivating them to use their gifts for the good of the team. "I know that it takes more than one person to complete a task," she said. "The team should feel that they are most important because they are." 

Curtis Doucette, Jr. is a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans. He is currently employed as a technical writer for Avondale Industries in Avondale, LA and is a contributing writer for Black Collegiate Services, Inc.

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