LaWanna White was born in Southern Illinois, and moved to Cleveland as a young child. Her parents raised her on Liberty Blvd. and she enjoyed the benefits of city life. However, she lived a tale of two cities, spending summers with her Southern Illinois family, aunts and uncles and cousins, and experienced country life as well.

She lived a summer adventure there, at first with no outdoor plumbing, and cooking over a fire pit. They remained close, and she considered attending college in Illinois. Her parents suggested she try another new experience, rather than the familiar.

She would up attending Ohio University, from 61-65 ,and loved the feeling of belonging she felt there, even when she was the only black student in the room.

While there, she helped start OU’s first black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. As her sorority sisters graduated, she was moved into leadership positions. She listened and learned, and developed confidence and a positive attitude. She brought hat confidence back to Cleveland and it never left.

LaWanna loved her job teaching first and second graders in Cleveland. She loved to empower her young students, teaching them not just math and reading, but how to work together, and take some responsibility for the way class was run. One day she had a surprise guest come in to observe her teaching methods.

At the end of class, she was offered a job in the downtown office of the Cleveland city schools as a teacher consultant, developing a new science curriculum, combining math, science and reading, and making it fun.

AS budgets were cut, LaWanna was moved to a new position . She was collaborating with teachers, parents and the school board, and working with corporations to fund continuing education for teachers, and bringing that back to the children. The Cleveland Education Fund was established.

She became the k-12 science supervisor, and helped develop CREST: Cleveland Revitalizes Elementary School Teaching. LAWanna retired in 1998, and naturally looked around for something to do.

She began attending OU reunions in 2007, and organized busloads of former students from the 60s to attend with her. The president of OU invited the entire group to the presidential mansion. They asked how they, as a student body, could help the school, and he suggested expanding scholarships in his Urban Students scholarship program.

Together they created the Ohio University Ebony Bobcat Network, to endow and award scholarships for students. As the first president of the board, she created on boarding systems and an initiative to expand from a regional group to a national organization.

She is currently President Emeritus of the EBN board. How does she spend her time now? At 82, she helps raise funds for the African American cultural garden here in Cleveland, and also helps maintain the gardens.

When asked what has changed for women, she says collaboration has put women at tables they were not at before. Her advice for young women today, The future is yours to design as you will, so step up and do it. Remain a lifelong learner, and when you get your foot in the door, reach back and take the hand of another woman and pull her in with you.

Future dreams? She would love to have a reason to go to Dubai. Perhaps as a speaker promoting education for women?