Helpful. Dependable. Involved. These are the words Carver employees use to describe Ny-Aja Boyd, a speech-language pathologist, children’s book author, aspiring university professor, and Carver alumna.
Ny-Aja graduated in 2017 from North Carolina A&T State University, where she double-majored in elementary education and speech-language pathology. She then went on to receive her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Sacred Heart University. While in school, Ny-Aja helped form a cheerleading squad, volunteered at the Special Olympics’ Healthy Hearing program, and participated in Sacred Heart’s Interprofessional Global Health Program in Guatemala. She also served as a member of both the NC Association of Educators and the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH), and as the Connecticut Representative for the National Student Speech-Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA).
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Ny-Aja is working at a private practice outpatient clinic as a pediatric speech-language pathologist, evaluating and treating children with autism spectrum disorder, cleft palates, hearing impairments, Augmentative Alternative Communication systems, and intellectual disabilities. She will soon be pursuing her Ph.D. in speech-language pathology to achieve her dreams of becoming a university professor. But it doesn’t end there; she also hopes to open a clinic one day to provide speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy to her community.
The accomplishment she’s most proud of, though? Self-publishing her first children’s book called Grandfather’s Garden, dedicated to her great-grandfather, Michael.
Bursting with vibrant illustrations, Grandfather’s Garden tells of the lessons a granddaughter learns from her grandfather as they tend to his prized rose bush and vegetable garden. Ny-Aja echoes the wisdom bestowed on her by her great-grandfather to craft a simple yet powerful story applicable to children of all ages. “I have spent the last decade reading and listening to my family heritage stories, and I love to share my memories with others,” she says. “I believe that sharing stories can change the world, and I use my stories to inspire and empower young people.”
As the story’s grandfather and granddaughter cultivate his garden, Ny-Aja cultivates words of encouragement, writing, “In a person’s life, a dream is like a tiny seed. If nurtured properly with attention, planning, and hard work, a dream can become a reality.” Ny-Aja is the living embodiment of that sentiment.
Life-changing experiences at “The Carver”
Ny-Aja with Carver CEO Novelette Peterkin at Carver’s 43rd Annual Testimonial Dinner in June 2013.
Before her book, before undergrad and graduate school, Ny-Aja was a Carver kid.
“The Carver has always been in my family,” she explains. Her father played basketball at the Carver Community Center in high school and her mother worked there when Ny-Aja was young. She began attending Carver’s after-school programs in elementary school, jump-starting her 13-year involvement with Carver that continues to this day.
Her first job was at the Carver After-School Program for Education and Recreation (CASPER). The program’s manager recalls Ny-Aja being reliable, hardworking, and “an all-around good kid.” In high school, she attended many of Carver’s college tours to states like Georgia and North Carolina; on one of these tours, she discovered her dream college and alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University.
When asked about her favorite memory from her Carver days, she fondly reflected on her experience with NicaPhoto, an organization focused on empowering disadvantaged families living in the poorest barrios of Nicaragua and breaking the cycle of extreme poverty. Carver’s partnership with NicaPhoto enabled students like Ny-Aja to learn about photography and exchange images with children in Nicaragua. At the end of the program, Ny-Aja and her peers traveled to Nagarote, Nicaragua to meet their pen pals and gain a deeper understanding of their culture.
Ny-Aja credits Carver with broadening her horizons by providing her with opportunities to explore the world outside of her local community. Carver enabled her to travel to a different country; introduced her to schools outside of Connecticut and to historically black colleges (HBCUs); helped her financially with college scholarships; and supported her journey to become an author and give back to her community. “[Carver] is a place where I met my friends, grew relationships, and learned a lot,” she adds.
A role model for the next generation of Carver students
Ny-Aja’s advice for current Carver students is to “be confident in the village the Carver has created for you. Whether that be the administration, mentors, Carver kids before you, or those who follow after you. We are all a family and will do anything to help you succeed in your dreams.”
Thank you, Ny-Aja. We’re so proud of all that you’ve accomplished and look forward to seeing where your life’s journey takes you next.
Ny-Aja’s children's books can be purchased at WWW.NYAJABOYD.COM. She recently released her second children’s book, Christmas at Hattie’s.
Follow her author journey on instagram at @BOYDBOOKSPUBLISHING
She loves to help and mentor any aspiring authors. Please feel free to contact her!