Meet Dr. Denise Lewis | President/CEO, Associate Professor, Clinical Counselor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Denise Lewis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Denise, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In Her Honor was established based on the amazing woman that my mother, Sharon Broadnax, was. Sharon was a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who loved not only her children, but all children. Sharon passed away in September 2020, after a fearless battle with MS. After the loss of Sharon, the family wanted to commemorate the love and support she had always provided their family and all children she encountered. Sharon did not meet a child that she didn’t love. Not only did the family want to honor Sharon, but also the other amazing women who have been the matriarchs of their family (Della E. Ervin & Laura L. Murrell). Creating an organization that supported Black youth was a wonderful way to give back and continue the legacy of who these amazing women were, built on the foundation of strength, resilience and wisdom. That is the lens from which we do the work with our youth.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I am a woman with multiple careers, and I am blessed to enjoy each of them as they provide me a means to give back to others. I am an Associate Professor, I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in a private practice, and I am the President/CEO of In Her Honor, which is my most significant heart project and is the thing I am most proud of. As indicated previously, the foundation upon which In Her Honor was laid connects me with my ancestors in a way that sustains me even in difficult times. It also allows me to work with young people to give them the resources they need to recognize their value and find their voice to become whatever they set their mind to. It is also the legacy I am leaving not only my family, but for all the young people that I encounter.

Professionally, it has not been easy. I am a late bloomer on my educational journey, and obtaining my Ph.D. was not something I thought about doing along the way. I struggled in college right after high school, so to return to school as an adult, and move through not only my undergrad program, but my Master’s and Ph.D. programs was a challenge. I had a family to take care of, and I recognize they sacrificed a lot to help me through each of these degrees. Obtaining my Ph.D. has been my greatest accomplishment because it has opened doors that would not have been opened without it.

I have learned several lessons along the way, far too many to condense in such limited space. I will say that some of the most important ones include: 1. believe in yourself, no matter what the world is telling you because you don’t live by others acceptance or rejection; 2. you are never on this journey alone, there are people who love you and support you along the way; 3. perseverance is necessary and when you get tired sit down to rest, but get back up and keep going; 4. appreciate yourself and your work along the way because every small step gets you closer to your goal; 5. use what you have been given to help and lift up others.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite spots in Columbus include the Arena District, Easton, COSI, the Short North, the Columbus Art Museum, and the Bronzeville area. These areas include some great cultural experiences that are exciting and engaging. I love to eat as well, and some of my favorite places to eat are Kitchen Social (#1), Cap City, Drunch Eatery, Hyde Park, J. Alexander’s (Worthington location), and The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek. As a sports fan, I love that Columbus has some great sporting events as well, and I try to get to as many as possible!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In addition to the wonderful ancestral women that laid the foundation for the person I have become, I want to dedicate this and all work I do to my family. My husband, Rev. Dr. Edward K. Lewis, Sr., my children, Thomas, Benjamin, and Kevin, and my grandchildren, Michelle, MaKenzie, Dembe, and Suubi are my “why” to everything I do. I also want to include my sisters, Nicolle and Sheila and my nieces, Tyler and Allie, because we hold each other down through everything! I am the woman I am because of them!

Website: www.in-her-honor.org

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylewis/