Zenia Simpson is a sophomore, film major, art history minor at Howard University and works as a videographer for The Urban Feed. A native New Yorker, Zenia grew up in the South Bronx where screams and cheers can be heard from Yankee Stadium or the bodega across the street on a nightly basis. Always seeking a challenge, she begged her mother to allow her to attend a boarding school and was sent to the illustrious Blair Academy in rural New Jersey at the tender age of thirteen.
Blair was unlike any place that Zenia had ever been exposed to; however, she managed to thrive in this environment making friends from places as diverse as Princeton, Las Vegas, Bermuda and South Korea. Blair was also a place where Zenia found her true passion. Enrolled in the D block video production class, Zenia found her voice when she did a short documentary on the nicer side of growing up in the inner city. While at Blair she also worked on other pieces as well as the 2009 Senior Class Video. Upon graduation, Zenia decided to attend the historical Howard University in the Nation’s Capital.
At Howard, Zenia was initially a Public Relations major, but still managed to do her passion by making videos for the Poetry Cipher at the 2009 Howard Homecoming. After much discussion with her family, Zenia decided to follow her heart and focus her studies on film and art. She depicts her life that she refers to as “the melting pot” in edgy, gritty yet glamorous ways inspired by her hometown of New York City.
As a daughter of a pastor and a social worker, Zenia feels like she was born to serve. She is often quoted saying “love and happiness is found in self-sacrifice” and has volunteered at the transitional home her mother runs and has also done videography for her mother’s ministry. She is known to share her room with the homeless members in her mother’s congregation and finds inspiration in the people that God has placed in her life. In the future, Zenia will maintain her “service before self” mentality and will continue to follow her heart and her dreams with her camera in hand.
Contact: simpsz.13@gmail.com
