Author: shwetakrishnan

Marcus Lawrence stands in the window of Nony’s Cheesecakes in Athens, Georgia. He started the business in 2012 and rebranded the name last year.  (Photo/Ashtin Barker)

Marcus Lawrence Profile.mp4

Marcus “Nony” Lawrence’s business isn’t just about making cheesecakes. It’s about having resilience and determination to fight for the career you want.

“One of my biggest messages is consistency, like just stay at it. If you don’t quit, you can’t fail,” Lawrence said. “Failure is only when you quit.”

Lawrence is the owner and CEO of Nony’s Cheesecakes, which began as Cheesecake Topia in November 2012. Lawrence was forced to close in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, he rebranded the company to reflect his personal growth and long-term vision for success. 

For him, launching a business and becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t a carefully guided journey – it was partly a leap of faith based on hustle, ambition and belief in his community’s support.

That independence, though empowering, also came from a deeper fear – one rooted in the distrust of traditional systems that many Black entrepreneurs share.

“I was really stuck on doing it on my own. I wasn’t even going to ask [for help] because I was told that there were barriers. I didn’t even bother to ask.”

Instead of seeking out loans, Lawrence launched a GoFundMe about a year ago, to raise money for his food truck and other business expenses. To date, the campaign, community donations, purchases and tips have raised about $4,000 of the $80,000 needed to bring his dream to life (not all numbers are visually shown in the GoFundMe total).

“I want this food truck, and I believe that the community that believes in me is going to make that happen. I shouldn’t have to go to a bank or anything to make that happen,” Lawrence said. “Because ultimately, I feel like that’s just to keep us in debt. That’s a personal belief… I’m really fearful when it comes to stuff like that.”

These are the cheesecake flavors that Marcus Lawrence publicizes as a part of the rebranded company, Nony’s Cheesecakes. This sign is on display right outside the food truck for customers to view, and it also includes the story behind the business, along with the link to the GoFundMe to help with the expenses. (Photo/Shweta Krishnan)

This fear isn’t unfounded. 

According to research from the 2024 The State of Black Business Report, Black business owners face more barriers to accessing capital compared to other groups, which impacts their ability to start a business. 

Four in ten Black-owned businesses are completely denied loans, lines of credit and cash advances. Only 32% are fully approved, compared to 56% of white-owned businesses that are fully approved.

This data comes from the Federal Reserve Banks “2023 Report on Startup Firms Owned by People of Color: Findings from the 2022 Small Business Credit Survey.” The graphic was created by the Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunity and published in the 2024 The State of Black Business Report.

This reality reinforces a cycle of self-reliance and community support.

But being a Black business owner in a small town like Athens comes with more than just financial challenges – it also comes with stereotypes that Lawrence has tried to break. 

“You know the stereotype of Black people open when they want to- that’s one that I know I used to say,” Lawrence said. “If you go to a store that’s Black-owned and they’re closed for whatever reason, you don’t need to know the reason, you just know that ‘oh that’s how Black people is’ or if they’re late for something…, it just burns on the inside when I’m late for something now.”

He recognizes what his customers expect, and he holds himself to a higher standard to ensure that he is not reinforcing the stereotypes he is trying to break.

“Even now, just dealing with the stress of things, I kind of want to lash out, go hide in the bed or something, but it’s like I have to be a symbol of change or something different. You want something different, you got to do something different.”

His commitment to making change in his community extends beyond his customer service. It shows up in how he runs his business and teaches his team. 

After baking the cheesecakes, Lawrence and his employees cut them into pieces and put them into individual boxes to be sold. These pieces, all different flavors available on the menu, are stocked in his kitchen freezer. (Photo/Shweta Krishnan)

His current employees are from his family – his two sons, sister-in-law and niece – and he finds it important to not only teach them how to run a successful business, but to have the willingness to grow.

“That’s one of my biggest things. If you come in under me, just be prepared to learn and grow,” Lawrence said. “I want motivated people- somebody that either wants a location of their own or they aspire to be an entrepreneur, and they can take from what I have, the information that I have, and be able to utilize that in their own way.”

Lawrence’s employee and sister-in-law, Kimberly Sessions, spoke about her personal experience working with Lawrence and watching the business grow.

“It’s grown a lot…I think it’s better now,” she said. “I can talk to him about anything, and he’s willing to work with me.” 

Kimberly Sessions, one of Marcus’ employees, makes Biscoff cheesecake. She has been working with Nony’s Cheesecakes since September 2024. (Photo/Shweta Krishnan)

His successful mentorship is evident through his previous employees. Five out of the seven employees that he had at his first company, Cheesecake Topia, have gone on to launch their own small businesses.

Still, Lawrence recognizes that mentorship, particularly in the Black community, is not always easily accessible. 

“Since I’ve gotten a mentor, I’ve realized that mentorship is very important, and I don’t think there are a lot of mentors available here,” Lawrence said. “I don’t think there’s a lot of education as far as understanding how important a mentor is or how important resources are.”

He noted that when he first met his mentor, Maxim Watkins, the owner of Food Truck Builders A-Z, he was skeptical. He said Watkins’ position and the information and money he had made him think that he would take his ideas and run away with it – especially because it had happened previously.

“It’s just letting the guards down. I think there’s a lot of distrust amongst Black people and that’s within the community and outside the community…,” Lawrence said. “Breaking those walls down and figuring out how we can come together to help each other and not feel like we’re going to take from one another.”

But Watkins helped Lawrence gain access to a trailer and kitchen space, allowing him to make more cheesecakes and take his product on the road.

This vision of unity is something he hopes extends to the local community. Lawrence dreams of a day once a week or even once a month where community members intentionally shop at local businesses. 

This community collaboration is not only something he hopes to see with businesses, but also on a personal level, with mentorship.

Lawrence has a message talking about his journey on his publicly available website. He seeks to make his dream a reality by sharing his goals to show people what this business means to him. (Photo/Marcus Lawrence)

Lawrence grew up in East Athens, where he was not afforded as many opportunities, resources and the education to succeed. He seeks to use his experiences to make a difference in the next generation of entrepreneurs, not only to build success but also hope.

“We’ve taken some pretty hard losses on the East side as far as people who I knew as kids to be really good people but maybe made some different decisions that weren’t the best, but I want to be that beacon of light to show that it’s an opportunity to do something different,” Lawrence said. “You don’t even have to change who you are. You can be exactly who you are- just grow. Just be willing to grow.”

Skills I Learned:

I had an opportunity to work with three different students to create this multimedia story, highlighting an individual in the Athens community. I enjoyed being able to put together authentic soundbites and pictures from the interviews and tell a genuine story about this individual’s business, what it means to him and the impact it has on the larger community. This story was a culmination of skills I have learned throughout my time as a journalism student, and I am grateful that I had the ability to tell the story of a hardworking individual who creates a wonderful experience for the Athens community.

Carlyncia McDowell, PhD student and graduate teaching assistant, stands in front of the Institute for African American Studies office located in the Holmes-Hunter Building. This is where she works, pursues her research and creates a safe space for Black students. (Photo/Shweta Krishnan)

Bridging the Divide: UGA Ph.D. Student Uses her Research and Personal Experiences to Create a Safe Space for Black Students on Campus

By: Shweta Krishnan

Audio Story: Social Justice Audio Story1 Final.mp3

Carlyncia McDowell has two goals with her work: exploring racial inequities within health and educational policies and supporting her students within the University of Georgia’s Institute for African American Studies (IAAS).

“I’ll take my time and my moments when I get home, but I know that when I step foot here, I really at least want to give to the students that are here,” McDowell said. “Letting them know that this space is a safe space. Safe space to come and cry, safe space to come and eat, safe space to come and talk.” 

Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Higher Education

With new executive orders from the second Trump administration, McDowell faces a constant uncertainty about what it means to be in higher education and its impact on marginalized students.

These new executive orders include anti-DEI legislation,  “Ending Racial Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” and the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), all of which directly impact topics that McDowell seeks to understand through her research.

“I like to tie in health policy and education policy together and research why,” McDowell said. “That’s what led me to the research instead of actually doing practical work that I originally thought I wanted to do.”

Carlyncia McDowell (second from right), PhD student and graduate teaching assistant, stands with a group of PhD students and her fellow classmates in the African American Graduate Certificate Program. This was taken at the History Graduate Student Association Conference on Mar. 22. (Photo/Rafiki Jenkins)

Research shows that racial inequities and lack of equal access to resources can cause a domino effect in other areas of life, including public health and education.

“Just to have students come to me who are 18, 19, 20 feeling like, what’s the point? How can I continue to move on? Am I really valued in these spaces?” McDowell said. “And to not really have those answers because in many ways I feel the same way. I wanted to work for the Department of Education- will I be able to do that? Will I really be able to teach?”

McDowell mentioned how discouraging it can be to have to stay up to date on the news for her research and continue to have these types of conversations with students.

She also pointed out the ways in which policymakers lack understanding of different communities and the impacts their policy can cause.

“Some people don’t realize ‘as I’m writing this policy’ or ‘as I’m advocating for this,’ that your values and what you believe is also showing through that. That might not encompass everybody it does impact.”

Carlyncia McDowell presents her research at the History Graduate Student Association (HGSA) on Saturday, Mar. 22. She analyzed the implications of education and racism on social determinants of health within education policy. (Photo/Maya Brooks)

Her Upbringing and its Influence on her Teaching

McDowell grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, a city that was predominantly white and heavily influenced her upbringing.

She was no stranger to the reality of growing up with little to no role models that looked like her and a lack of representation in the books she read.

Her personal experiences facing overt racism and being one of 27 students of color in her graduating class of 326 pushed the PhD student to recognize the importance of using her voice.

“I feel like the representation in general; it’s just important,” McDowell said. “So, I think me seeking out that representation, me going to a school, where there were Confederate flags on people’s car or different things of that nature, saying something to my teacher, and writing a whole paper about it, and letting people know how uncomfortable that made me, it made me understand that I have a voice.” 

Creating a Safe Space for Black Students

McDowell reflects on her current situation, noting that not everything has been positive, particularly with the current political climate.

 “I feel like various parts of my identity, and various parts of people that I care about identities are…attacked and undervalued,” McDowell said. “So it’s like, once again, not only am I trying to prove something to myself, you know, ‘I’m worthy of being here. I’m worthy of the research I’m doing. It’s valuable.’”

While the current political divide and its social impacts personally impact McDowell and her research, she seeks a way to create a safe haven for other Black students, recognizing that this space helped her process the new political changes.

Her dedication to students has had a profound impact. Aaliyah Khaiphanliane, a second-year student studying African American Studies and Sociology, shared how McDowell’s support has shaped her experience within the Institute for African American Studies and UGA as a whole.

Khaiphanliane first met McDowell in the Introduction to African American Studies course, where McDowell served as her graduate teaching assistant. Since then, she has remained connected to McDowell, drawn by the consistent encouragement and inspiration she receives.

“Carly is just an all around amazing person and in many ways, she’s what inspired me to get my PhD,” Khaiphanliane said. “Seeing her hold her own spaces, where she’s very often the only one that looks like her, the confidence that she exudes when she enters a room, and is able to state her views and opinions on things without being intimidated by anyone…I find it very inspiring.”

Carlyncia McDowell speaks with her mentor, Dr. Rafiki Jenkins, and one of her students, Aaliyah Khaiphanliane in the Institute for African American Studies (IAAS) Library. This space is used for students to work and spend time with friends and mentors. (Photo/Shweta Krishnan)

Most importantly, McDowell emphasizes the importance of respecting others and their opinions in her classroom because she believes that is the only way to find a common ground and help positively influence policy.

“This is an open space, and although you might not like or you might not understand what somebody is saying, ultimately, when we do have these conversations, we have it with respect,” McDowell said.

Her ultimate goal is for people from various backgrounds or different beliefs to have respectful conversations that can lead to a compromise or change in actions because it’s necessary for society to move forward.

Skills I Learned:

This story allowed me to take the different multimedia elements of storytelling that I learned throughout my time as a journalism student and use it to tell the story of an individual who has made an impact on UGA’s campus and students around her. It included newsworthy elements of analyzing how the current political climate has impacted her research and well-being, and I sought to tell her story and explain the effect she has made on the people around her. This story will be published on Grady Newsource in July 2025, and I look forward to having this piece be accessible to the UGA and Athens community to highlight this individual’s work.

Black Students at UGA Reflect on Policies of a Second Trump Term

Skills I Learned:

This story allowed me to take the different multimedia elements of storytelling that I learned throughout my time as a journalism student and use it to tell the story of a marginalized community. It included newsworthy elements of analyzing how the current political climate has impacted individuals, and I sought to amplify these voices and explain their different perspectives. Speaking to students of different ages allowed me to understand different viewpoints of what they thought about this administration’s impact on society, based on each individual’s personal experience. I am grateful to have my first individual story published on Grady Newsource, and I look forward to continuing to use my writing to amplify the voices of different individuals in the communities around me.

I strongly believe in using my access to resources, skills and past experiences to challenge systemic inequalities and promote equity across all communities. My commitment to social justice is rooted in inclusion and empowerment. Through my storytelling, I seek to amplify the voices of those who are not able to advocate for themselves and drive meaningful change. Most importantly, I recognize that true change requires actively listening and having conversations to understand different perspectives and learn how I can uplift all voices.

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I am interested in combining my journalism skills with my interest in politics. I am currently pursuing a certificate in public affairs communications, which has allowed me to gain skills aimed at educating and shaping public opinions on policy issues.

Through this certificate, I had the opportunity to participate in the GradyDC study away program in Washington D.C. During this time, I interned at the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, a non-profit organization that seeks to influence DC specific policy issues through advocacy, research and litigation.

Letter-to-Editor

This letter-to-editor is written from the perspective of a hypothetical public figure on an important policy issue. It is meant to address the op-ed that the author Michael Bloomberg wrote in terms of addressing the immigration crisis in the United States.

Key Messages

This key messages document is an example document building up to the final campaign. This document focuses on why abortion should be legalized across the nation included main ideas supported by statistics and data.

Advertising Script

This advertising script is another example document building up to the final campaign plan. This document creates a hypothetical advertisement based on a public policy issue using visuals and emotions to connect with the audience.

Op-Ed

An op-ed, or opinion editorial, is based on a specific policy issue. The author writes the issue based on a strong and informed opinion backed by data. The opinion of the author doesn’t necessarily reflect the opinion of a publication, rather it gives the author a chance to express their ideas about a specific issue. The first op-ed focused on human trafficking, and how it needs to be more heavily addressed on the national level. The second op-ed was another part of the building blocks to the final campaign plan. This piece focused on legalizing abortion across the nation, addressing the maternal healthcare crisis.

Infographic

An infographic is used to factually and visually display information based on a public policy issue. This was the final assignment in the Advanced Public Affairs Communications course used to once again, highlight an important public policy issue in a visually appealing manner.

Final Campaign Plan

The final campaign plan was a culmination of all the tools and elements learned throughout the Advanced Public Affairs Communications course. As described earlier, this project focuses on creating a hypothetical public policy campaign, incorporating previous assignments that were used as building blocks for this final project.

Boutique Feature: Empire South

Skills I Used

I was able to take what I learned about lighting and visuals to create a story about an individual in the Athens community. Having a storytelling background allowed me to put together a written story and take visuals that accompanied the audio and written portion to help create a cohesive, clear project.

I had the opportunity to work with the AJC to do live coverage on Election Day 2024 in Athens-Clarke County. I interviewed voters before polls opened at 7 a.m. and continued to have conversations until 2 p.m. at five different polling locations across the county. This opportunity allowed me to gain experience talking to a variety of people and writing quick stories with tight deadlines. This was one of my favorite experiences because I was able to take the skills that I learned from each of my Grady classes and apply it to a real-world experience and report on a newsworthy event that was highly important across the nation.

Posts Published on the AJC website: Election Day 2024: Live Recap of Election Day

Celebrating International Education Month with International Student Life at UGA

International Education Month is more than just three weeks in November. For the University of Georgia’s campus, it’s about internationalizing the student experience and celebrating a variety of cultures throughout the year.

“A large part of International Education Month is showing everyone that international education doesn’t just happen in a vacuum, it doesn’t just happen here in ISL or immigration services and OGE,” said Natalie Kenny-Hall, Senior Programming Coordinator for International Student Life at UGA.  “Literally every department has some kind of international education going on.”

International Education Month is dedicated to providing international education to all UGA students. It’s based on the federal initiative of International Education Week, which is the third week of November.

“We recognized that so much international education was being done at UGA that we needed to expand that to cover the entire month,” she said.

It kicked off with the Parade of Flags on Monday, Nov. 4, where students requested their countries’ flag from the International Student Life office. Each student carried their country’s flag from the Arch to Tate Student Center. 

“I was carrying the Brazilian flag. It’s my first semester here, and I just came from Brazil, and it was an honor to bring the Brazilian flag with me,” said Majorie Baio, Graduate Assistant for ISL.

Following the Parade of Flags was WorldFest, an event held in Tate Plaza where several UGA ISL organizations had a table displaying their own cultures. 

This was a chance for both international and domestic students to interact with international cultures and student organizations from all around campus.

“The ability for our international students to be able to speak about their culture to their peers is really lovely to see that happen in real time,” said Natalie Kenny-Hall.

A variety of departments across campus put on events to continue supporting ISL’s initiative to expand international education across campus throughout the month.

At UGA’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute, the Dancing with Devils: Latin American Masks Traditions exhibit is dedicated to celebrating a small portion of Latin American culture. It’s available for all UGA students to take time to engage with a particular international culture and learn about celebrations and traditions.

“I think international students just love to see a focus of things that are not American and see that celebrated, not just a quick hat-tip of ‘Oh we’re doing this, isn’t that nice?’,” said Natalie Kenny-Hall. “It’s real in depth, a whole month of celebrating on campus that helps them feel more included and it opens up more opportunities for them as well.”

Skills I Used

I liked being able to create another story based on International Student Life. I enjoyed being able to talk about such a broad topic because I think it gave me the opportunity to film different angles to provide a clear picture of International Education Month. This was also my first time using video for a journalistic purpose, and I feel like I learned a lot about filming and editing techniques, which helped me create this product.

Internationalizing the Student Experience: Natalie Kenny-Hall Creates a Safe Space for International Students on UGA’s Campus

Natalie Kenny-Hall has one main goal with her work: internationalizing the student experience at UGA.

“It’s not just about working with international students and helping them here on campus, but it’s also allowing students from the US to experience international culture as well,” she said.

The Senior Programming Coordinator for International Student Life at UGA seeks to create a stronger community among students through her work. She is involved in planning and programming events like International Coffee Hour.

At this event, students can be found talking about different cultures and sharing their experiences at UGA.

“Lots of research shows that when students feel like they belong, they do better academically.”

It’s not something she just tells international students; it’s something she has experienced herself.

Natalie grew up in England and pursued her undergraduate degree there. She thought that moving to another “similar” country would be simple.

“Moving to an English speaking country, I thought the transition would be very, very easy,” she said.

Her empathy to understand the mixed emotions that these students might feel as they start college across the world allows her to connect with a variety of students.

“Natalie has helped me find my community at UGA by teaching us all that we need to be able to gain intercultural competency. Her trainings allowed us to understand how to communicate with people from different backgrounds and cultures,” said Sowmya Gangyshetty, a third-year law student from India.

In the 53 years that this event has taken place, Natalie has seen the firsthand impact that these interactions can have on a student’s sense of belonging and finding friendship.

“I see (students) sitting down and talking to each other the first week, maybe the second week, and then by the end of term, they’re best friends and they’ve got a group of people,” she said. “That’s just wonderful to see that kind of organic friendship happen due to them coming to one of our events.”

Natalie is also an advisor for five international student organizations at UGA- Bangladeshi Student Organization, Korean Undergraduate Student Organization, Indian Student Association, Nepalese Student Organization, Vietnamese Student Organization.

“It’s a fairly new job for me directly advising student organizations, but they’re all wonderful. I’d like to keep growing those skills to make sure that I can support them as best as possible,” she said.

When talking about how students can make the best of their experience through ISL’s events and organizations, she suggests that they be open to new opportunities, even if it’s scary at first.

The biggest lesson that she hopes all students take from ISL events is that, “there’s more that we have in common than we don’t have in common from around the world,” she said.

Skills I Used:

This story continued on with my idea of continuing to report on International Student Life, but this time I was featuring an individual. I loved being able to do create story because it shows the depth I have with producing different types of journalistic pieces. Most importantly, I think this piece truly showcased how I continued to grow throughout the semester as a journalist by incorporating audio elements combined with a written story.

International Coffee Hour with UGA’s Arab Cultural Association

At International Coffee Hour, it’s more than just learning about culture. It’s about immersing yourself in someone’s environment.

“When it comes to coffee hour, really it’s to showcase all the different elements,” said Dylan Schell, one of the Arab Cultural Association’s Event Coordinators. “What I really like about events like this, is that you kind of get a little bit of a window into many different facets of a culture.”

The University of Georgia’s Arab Cultural Association hosted their coffee hour on Friday, Sept. 20. It was held in the Victor K. Wilson Ballroom in Memorial Hall. Between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., 268 students experienced vibrant parts of Arab culture.

“This is really one of my favorite events at UGA, because International Coffee Hour is probably one of the biggest events,” said Maggie Zou, the Senior Programming Coordinator for International Student Life at UGA. “We can get all the international students all together, and we can also attract all the domestic students as well.”

This event featured different aspects of Arab culture, including homemade food, a guessing game to place different Arab countries on a map, calligraphy, and scented items.

Dylan Schell helped create a vision for this event and followed through with the planned details.

Not only is geography important to understanding Arab culture, but so is food.

Soukaina Chaouki, a UGA grad student and ACA volunteer, explained the importance of connecting with the culture through this calligraphy, an important art form for Arab culture.

Having these items allows students to permanently have a reminder of learning about Arab culture.

She also explained the importance of scents and perfumes in Arab culture and history. Strong fragrances are used for rituals and welcoming guests into someone’s home.

With all of these ways to celebrate culture, students enjoyed their time engaging with a new experience.

UGA has been hosting International Coffee Hour for 52 years, and the most important part of these events has been bringing students together to immerse themselves in a new culture to create a strong community.

Skills I Used

I chose to highlight this story because I love featuring different aspects of International Student Life. International Coffee Hour is something that they host every Friday, and I always enjoy being able to go and participate. I think being able to write about such a unique organization and show different aspects of a culture is so interesting, and it has also helped me grow as a journalist. It was great to be able to take the photography skills I learned and be able to put it to use in this setting as well.