Roland Williams made it out of Rochester and went all the way to the Super Bowl. He didn’t forget about his hometown. While growing up in the 19th ward, he experienced first-hand the negative residuals of poverty, single-parent homes, trauma and incarceration and saw how these factors destroyed the lives of too many people. As a proud Rochestarian, Roland wanted to make an impact. He himself was a product of the Rochester City School District. So, he came back and started the Champion Academy.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY JAKE LEVIN (CAPTIVATE MEDIA)

Sometimes, you just can’t judge a book by the cover. On the outside, Jenna is beautiful, sweet and looks like she has it all, but her story is much more than that. She is amazing! Her struggle was a real one. She shares her story with Rochester Woman to be an inspiration to others.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS

THE MANY SIDES OF SUSAN…
She is a thinker.
An observer.
A listener and a writer.
An internet scholar.
A storyteller and a self-described “life hacker.”Continue reading