Nakia grew up in suburban Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the one thing she truly connected with was sports. She didn’t quite fit into the usual crowds, but she took that energy and ran with it - literally.

A highly competitive track athlete, Nakia consistently outran the girls in competition. When she needed a greater challenge, she trained alongside her brother and his friends, running and long jumping with them, a choice that pushed her further and affirmed she was becoming a stronger athlete. That refusal to accept limits has shaped everything she’s done since.

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She also found a deep sense of belonging in skating with those same kids, from skateboarding to roller skating, and carried that belief in the power of movement and community into her professional life.

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For the past decade, Nakia has worked in IT and was fortunate to lead a program training young adults in underserved communities, equipping them with technical skills and certifications that helped change their life trajectories. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Operations from Northeastern State University, with a minor in Legal Studies, grounding her work in both operational strategy and organizational accountability.

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That experience reinforced a core truth for her: access, paired with opportunity, changes lives.

As a mother of four athletes, including an oldest child who competed at the Division I level and represented at the Pan American Games, Nakia has seen firsthand how school-based activities build confidence, discipline, and direction.

Through You Can Skate, she is committed to breaking down the financial barriers that keep students from these life-shaping experiences.