Conversations with the Inspiring Asanyah Davidson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Asanyah Davidson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Asanyah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In the beginning, there was my Granma who was a seamstress and made my Sunday church dresses the Saturday before and her daughters, my aunts, who were all teachers at one point or another. Combine with that the fact I was born in an area of Jamaica, where we did more living off the land than shopping in a grocery store. My family believes in education and I think that kept me focused on school, learning and exploring. All that has led me to the position I have today as the Department Chairperson for the Miami Fashion Institute where I focus on developing good people who feel empowered to make their lives amazing.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say smooth, but I would say that I accepted a long time ago that challenges are par for the course and can actually help you become a smart problem solver. My parents didn’t go to school here in the states so navigating that process, college, adulting and all the in-betweens was a huge learning curve for me. In fact, I’m still learning to navigate it at 39. I don’t think it was any more crazy for me than anyone else trying to do better and live larger every day.

Woman to woman, I always say learn to trust your intuition, it’s your inner God. Don’t ask for cosigners when you’ve already made up your mind. You can ask good friends to check if you’ve missed something, a second opinion. I have to talk to my friends when I feel that my mind isn’t allowing me to see a big picture or I’m going in circles but ultimately all decisions are mine and I have to own that. Learn the difference between your fear and your intuition. Be good to good friends. Take care of your health and don’t put up with doctors that don’t take time to answer your questions.

What should we know about Miami Fashion Institute? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Apart from being the Department Chairperson for the Miami Fashion Institute at Miami Dade College. I also consult on fashion programs being developed in other countries like Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. I do believe being a designer is something special that can create opportunities in all areas of life, especially in the developing world. I do believe the creative class will solve the worlds most pressing issues.

At MFI, the associate’s programs provide opportunities for our students to learn more about Sustainability while they learn foundation skills in Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising. We want them to be prepared for what’s happening now and decide what kind of role they want to have in the future of fashion.

Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
We weren’t rich by any first world standard growing up but I was extremely happy. I think learning early that money isn’t everything may have made my risk tolerance a bit higher than most. Quitting a job most wouldn’t, selling my car and moving to West Africa… I’m not sure many people would see the experience as more important than the money made doing it. Experiences over things.

Article Credit: VoyageMIA