Camara Haynes

Why continuing an education is so important to her:

"Continuing education matters to me because my pursuit of becoming a Product Design Engineer never stands still, and if I'm not keeping up with new tools and methodologies, I'll start to fall behind. Being a STEM student at an HBCU has given me a strong foundation and an incredible community, but continuing education through conferences and industry events lets me take that energy into professional spaces where real innovation is actually happening. Getting exposure to practitioners and leaders outside of the classroom gives me perspectives that complement my coursework and help me start connecting my ideas to how things actually work in the real world. On top of that, employers in product design are looking for people who show initiative and genuine curiosity, so actively pursuing learning beyond my degree is my way of showing that I'm not just here to get a diploma and leave. Lifelong learning also keeps me adaptable, which feels like one of the most important skills I can develop in a field where the problems I'll be solving are going to keep changing and getting more complex. So at the end of the day, continuing education is really about a commitment I've made to myself to keep evolving, to refuse stagnation, and to always believe that there's more to learn, more to become, and more to contribute because of it."

Camara proudly supports:

NCAT’s College of Science and Technology

Abbotswoods at Irving Park

Child Development Laboratory in Greensboro

National Society of Black Engineers

American Institute of Graphic Arts,

Camara, describe something that is plaguing young women today and explain what can be done to turn it around? What can you do to help?  

"There are many young women who’ve been stalked, in a way that not only has led to profound trauma, but also have been living life in a different and sometimes more isolated way just to be safe. For instance, after being stalked, many decide the risks are too great to have their name and face visible anywhere online. This means if a woman experiences economic difficulties or social isolation, given how social media-dependent society is, it’s orders of magnitude more difficult to stay in touch with old friends or to crowdfund, while remaining anonymous for safety. This means women might end up dealing with homelessness for longer if they get ill or are laid off and find themselves struggling to survive.

To turn this around, a community of other women can create informal vouching networks where trusted members front crowdfunding campaigns or social connections on behalf of survivors, shielding their identity while still giving them access to economic and social support. Local mutual aid funds specifically designated for survivors remove the need for public campaigns entirely, so people can get help through private channels. Simply educating community members that "just post about it" is not a safe option for everyone and normalizing privacy-protective alternatives goes a long way toward making survivors feel less alone and less economically stranded.

The best way that I can help in this situation is to organize a small mutual aid fund within my campus community, specifically for survivors on campus who need financial help without public exposure, pooling contributions from trusted peers and distributing them privately. I could also spread awareness in my social circles that stalking creates long-term digital safety needs, so that when someone asks for help, my classmates already understand why anonymity matters and are ready to vouch or donate quietly, however we can."