Tererai Trent

Dr. Tererai Trent is one of today’s most internationally recognized voices for quality education and women’s empowerment. Distinguished as Oprah Winfrey’s “All-Time Favorite Guest,” Tererai is a scholar, humanitarian, motivational speaker, educator, author, and founder of Tererai Trent International. One of the world’s most acclaimed voices for women’s empowerment and quality education, Tererai received her doctorate in interdisciplinary evaluation from Western Michigan University and teaches courses in Global Health at Drexel University. She has published two highly acclaimed children’s books and is the author of the award winning The Awakened Woman–Remembering & Reigniting Our Sacred Dreams. Tererai serves as the president of The Awakened Woman, LLC, a company dedicated to empowering women with tools to thrive as they achieve their dreams. She is honored to have received the NAACP 2018 Award for Outstanding Literary Work. 

Rooted in humble beginnings, Tererai grew up in a cattle-herding family in rural Zimbabwe, in a country known as Rhodesia under colonial rule, where cultural practices and a war that liberated her country charted the course of her life. Despite facing many obstacles, she never lost sight of her dreams for an education. She could not have imagined that her steadfast determination, hard work, and belief in her dreams would eventually not only earn her multiple degrees, but also a prominent global platform with world leaders and international businesses where she advocates for universal access to quality education. Tererai continues to lead the global charge in the fight for quality education for all children and for women’s rights. She has become a symbol of hope and living proof that anything is possible. Her favorite motto is “Tinogona,” meaning, “It is achievable!” Tererai is among 10 women named the most inspiring women in the world by the Statues for Equality Project of Gillie and Marc. Along with nine other women, including Oprah Winfrey and Jane Goodall, a life-size bronze figure unveiled by Statues for Equality in the United States, immortalized Tererai on Women’s Equality Day on August 26, 2019. 

Photo credit: Nick Onken

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