He saw another opportunity to lead. As a result, he worked with his fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, to create a Diversity and Inclusion position to do what he could to engage his brothers and the community in this important conversation. 

“If there is anything I learned from the experience, it would be that if your heart is in the right place, individuals will see that and will follow suit.”

Shamari does have mentors he looks up to like the president of his fraternity, Andrew Musick, and Brandon Cutler, the associate dean of students for Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life. He says that a lot of his leadership skills have come naturally and that many people have said he’s born to be a leader, but he knows that everyone does not have the same skillset.

To aspiring leaders, Shamari suggests to “take on any leadership opportunity” and to realize that “a successful leader should radiate energy that those around them would want to follow.”

His story is one of perseverance and continued drive to have an impact on the world through his leadership and he truly sees that same opportunity for his peers at Purdue.

If you would like to engage with Shamari, you can find him on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/shamariwalker.