My name is Samika Baskerville, and I am honored to serve as the Founder and Executive Director of Empowerment Youth Leadership Academy (EYLA). While our organization is dedicated to empowering young people through workforce development and leadership, I want to share a deeply personal and heartfelt reason behind our commitment—our support for mothers who have endured the unimaginable pain of stillbirth.

On November 3rd, my daughter would have celebrated her second birthday. Instead, that day marks a bittersweet anniversary of a loss that forever changed my heart. The stillbirth of my beloved daughter plunged me into a profound world of grief and sorrow. I felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness, drained both emotionally and physically. The weight of this grief was sometimes unbearable, and my mental health was deeply impacted. Yet, even in the darkest moments, I found the strength to keep going, especially for my two young sons, who needed me.

Despite the pain, life’s practical demands did not stop. I still had bills to pay, my boys needed love and stability, and I was determined to pursue my education to secure a better future for us. I earned my CRSS (Certified Recovery Support Specialist) certification at NIU, completed my internship as a workforce development coordinator serving the south suburbs and western Chicago in spring 2024, and continued my studies at Olive Harvey College in Business in spring 2025. Through this journey of resilience, hope, and unwavering dedication, the vision for EYLA—particularly its stillbirth support initiative—was born.