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More than 30 years after co-founding the African American Alumnae Network at Mount Saint Â鶹¹û¶³’s University, Leslie Cunningham ’90 is once again helping strengthen connections among Black alumnae. As the Mount prepares to reset its Black Alumnae Association (BAA), Leslie is among the former founders and board members sharing their experiences and perspectives to help shape its future.

Established in 2021, the BAA builds on the work of the African American Alumnae Network, which alumnae volunteers created in 1994. Its mission is to empower, engage and amplify the voices, wellness and perspectives of alumnae, students and allies. The Association fosters personal and professional development, community service and fellowship while championing the Mount's foundational mission and values.

For Leslie, who earned a bachelor's degree in social science, the importance of representation took root long before she arrived at the Mount. Growing up, her parents' careers took her around the world, including to Nigeria, Germany and Japan.

Her time in Nigeria was particularly meaningful. As a young African American girl, Leslie experienced something she rarely encountered in the United States growing up: seeing people who looked like her represented at every level of society.

"Everybody in every stratum of society looked like me," Leslie recalls. "That is an important distinction. That is an important confidence builder and validation. That empowerment sits inside of you."

Leslie's experiences at the Mount would also leave a lasting impression on her, beginning before she even started classes.

When the financial support Leslie had counted on unexpectedly fell through, she was determined to find another way to attend the Mount. She turned to then-President Sister Magdalen Coughlin, CSJ, who personally helped her establish a payment plan and identify employment and housing options.

More than 35 years later, Leslie still remembers how that moment made her feel. "It was one of those experiences where I felt seen, heard, wanted and appreciated," she says.

That support continued throughout Leslie's time at the Mount, which she describes as her "home away from home." There, she found mentors who recognized her potential and provided her with opportunities to grow as a leader.

Among them was Cheryl Mabey ’69, JD, who founded the Mount's Women's Leadership Program and served as its director from 1977 to 1999. Through the program, Leslie learned to recognize what women leaders "bring to the table and how valuable that is."

She credits the program with helping her develop the confidence needed to navigate opportunities and challenges throughout her career. "The kind of confidence that one needs as a woman in leadership is different," she says.

That confidence served her well early in her career at Southern California Edison, where she worked as a major customer account executive. Despite leading a team, Leslie frequently encountered male executives at client organizations who assumed she was a secretary. Her experiences at the Mount helped her assert her authority and advocate for herself.

Another woman who left a lasting impression on Leslie was Bernadette ("Bernie") Gonzaque Robert ’77, who had been part of the first cohort of the Mount's Women's Leadership Program. Over her 35-year career at the Mount, Bernie held numerous leadership positions and helped advance the Mount's commitment to inclusion, most notably as the founding director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence.

For Leslie, seeing a successful Black woman in leadership at the Mount carried particular significance.  Having graduated from the Mount and gone on to build an accomplished career, Bernie was a visible reminder of what was possible for Leslie and other Black students. "One can always do what has been done, right?" Leslie says.  "If you can see it, you can be it."

It is this belief in the importance of representation that remains at the heart of Leslie’s commitment to the University and her enthusiasm for the reset of the Black Alumnae Association.

For Leslie, the Association offers an opportunity to bring Black alumnae together across generations and foster the kinds of relationships that shaped her own journey at the Mount. She sees tremendous potential for alumnae to learn from one another, expand their professional networks, support current students and share the experiences and insights they have gained throughout their careers.

Today, Leslie looks forward to reuniting with former Black Alumnae Association board members and connecting with prospective leaders during a special dinner on Wednesday, November 18. Hosted at a local Los Angeles restaurant, this gathering will offer a relaxed space to build meaningful relationships with fellow Mount alumnae, share perspectives on the Association’s next chapter and celebrate its growing network.

If you would like to attend the dinner or learn more about upcoming board and general membership applications, please email Meagan Harmon, assistant director of alumnae relations, at mharmon@msmu.edu.