{"686725":{"#nid":"686725","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Lights, Camera, Leadership ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a guidance counselor told Mariah Liggins, then a junior in high school, that she wasn\u2019t going to get into college, she didn\u2019t let that stop her. Now the program director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/johnlewis.students.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJohn Lewis Student Leadership Pathways\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, she did her research, submitted her applications, and took 15 Greyhound bus trips to tour schools before placing seven acceptance letters \u2014 all accompanied by full-ride scholarships \u2014 on her counselor\u0027s desk.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m always telling my students to make sure that you\u0027re invested in yourself, and you don\u0027t need a cheerleader. You are the cheerleader, so when somebody gives you a no, work it out and get your yes, because I definitely did that,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lesson of resilience is one that Liggins shares in her coaching sessions, helping students to develop their leadership skills and career goals, and in her role as the manager of her 10-year-old daughter Kyhler\u2019s acting career.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKhyler\u2019s most recent credit was also her biggest \u2014 a role in the Warner Bros. film \u003Cem\u003EWeapons\u003C\/em\u003E \u2014 but Liggins is intentional about teaching her daughter that the road to success in the film industry isn\u2019t always a straight one.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this her whole life. She was 3 years old on the red carpet, but that comes with a lot of ups and downs. We talk all the time about the importance of hard work and the fact that you may get some no\u2019s, but in those situations, it\u2019s all about finding a lesson to learn from it and embracing the ability to try again,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKhyler affectionately refers to Mariah as her \u201cmomager,\u201d and Mariah, who grew up in foster care, relishes the opportunity to take a lead role in her daughter\u2019s life.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn my childhood, I never had anybody who was invested in me, so once I became a mom, I was going to make sure I give them a childhood that they have control of, that they\u0027re invested in, and that I can invest in them the best way possible,\u201d Liggins said. \u201cWhat drives me is knowing I\u2019m able to give them so much of what I lacked, and I get to live out this experience with my family.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe mother of three sees similarities between her home and professional life, including the joy of seeing others succeed in pursuing their passions. Liggins began her career in academic advising and served as the pre-health advisor at Georgia Tech before moving into her current role.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs I see students come through our program, I see them try things they wouldn\u2019t have before, and that makes me so proud. I always say that when my students have applied to medical school and got accepted, I feel like I got in because we\u2019re celebrating together,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELiggins has worked at Tech for seven years and, during that time, has continued her education as an Ed.D. student at the University of West Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I love so much about working at Georgia Tech is working around so many creative and innovative thinkers. As a first-generation college student, I am in rooms today and part of conversations that I never could have imagined. Working at Tech has pushed me and continues to help ignite the professional and the student that I am today,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Mariah, her dream is not for Kyhler to become a movie star. It\u2019s for her to feel like she had a childhood that allowed her to express herself and find what makes her happy. Just like she does with her students, Mariah is proud to play a part in helping Kyhler find her path to becoming a leader in any venture she pursues.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Whether it\u0027s mentoring students or managing her daughter\u2019s acting career, Mariah Liggins knows the importance of resilience.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhether it\u0027s mentoring students or managing her daughter\u2019s acting career, Mariah Liggins knows the importance of resilience.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Whether it\u0027s mentoring students or managing her daughter\u2019s acting career, Mariah Liggins knows the importance of resilience.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2025-12-03 18:56:00","changed_gmt":"2025-12-03 20:25:54","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678758":{"id":"678758","type":"video","title":"Lights, Camera, Leadership ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWhether she\u2019s guiding students on their leadership path at Georgia Tech or heading to an audition with her daughter, Mariah Liggins teaches the value of resilience. Having grown up in foster care, Liggins knew she wanted to provide her children with the mentor she never had, and she\u2019s embracing her role as a \u201cmomager.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1764793326","gmt_created":"2025-12-03 20:22:06","changed":"1764793326","gmt_changed":"2025-12-03 20:22:06","video":{"youtube_id":"J_ahYumAlag","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=J_ahYumAlag"}},"678756":{"id":"678756","type":"image","title":"Mariah-Liggins.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMariah Liggins, program director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/johnlewis.students.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJohn Lewis Student Leadership Pathways\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, and her daughter, Khyler. Submitted photo.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1764788234","gmt_created":"2025-12-03 18:57:14","changed":"1764788234","gmt_changed":"2025-12-03 18:57:14","alt":"Mariah Liggins","file":{"fid":"262830","name":"Mariah-Liggins.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/03\/Mariah-Liggins.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/03\/Mariah-Liggins.png","mime":"image\/png","size":585873,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/03\/Mariah-Liggins.png?itok=1bKforNI"}}},"media_ids":["678758","678756"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"190795","name":"John Lewis Student Center"},{"id":"170520","name":"Actor"},{"id":"4749","name":"movies"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStory Produced by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:meavenson@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMicah Eavenson\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:julian.hills@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJulian Hills\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}