Every career has an engine.
For Alysia Steele, that engine has always been two women: her mother Stella and her Aunt Marie.
Both are gone now. Their absence left a deep silence. But their influence continues to shape how she works, leads, and tells stories.
“They both made such a positive impact on my life because they believed in me,” says Steele.
A Bold Beginning
Steele was born to a White mother and a Black father. They married in 1969, just two years after interracial marriage became legal nationwide. Their union was courageous for its time.
Her parents divorced when she was four. Her mother asked Steele’s paternal grandparents to raise her, believing rural New Jersey, where she worked factory jobs, would offer fewer opportunities.
That decision defined Steele’s childhood.
Her mother worked long factory shifts. At night, she attended nursing school. She graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
“She was exhausted, but she never quit,” Steele says. “I watched what discipline looks like.”
Money was tight. Steele remembers cold weekends in her mother’s trailer. Kerosene heaters. Thin walls. She would leave coins under her pillow before returning home.
“I didn’t understand poverty,” she says. “But I understood sacrifice. I wanted to help my mom.”
The First Lesson in Inequality
When Steele became serious about photography, her mother leaned in.
Living near Philadelphia, they would drive into the city. Her mother would find cheap parking and let her roam with a camera. Steele was 15 when she photographed a homeless man outside a department store window.
He stood beneath luxury displays, holding a foam cup for change.
“I saw the difference between haves and have-nots in one frame,” she says.
She asked his permission. He agreed. Her mother watched closely, making sure she was safe but letting her take the risk.
That photo later won recognition from her high school teacher, Raymond Snyder.
“My mom believed my images mattered,” Steele says. “My teacher did, too. That changed everything.”
Enter Aunt Marie
If her mother modeled quiet resilience, her Aunt Marie demanded excellence.
Marie, whom Steele called “Ree,” was 15 years older. She graduated from Michigan State University. She owned a white-and-gray stone home on “the Hill,” a better part of town. She had strong credit and a respected management career with the state of Pennsylvania.
“She was the first Black woman I knew who had all of that,” Steele says.
Ree moved the family into that house in 1983. Steele’s bedroom was on the third floor. They fought over carpet color. Steele wanted lilac purple. Ree said no. Eventually, they compromised on lilac.
“I might have won that battle,” Steele says, smiling. “But she won every serious one.”
Ree taught her about professionalism. About image. About preparation.
“She’d say, ‘Do you want to be another statistic?’”
When algebra didn’t click, Ree pushed harder. She expected more.
“She believed I was capable of more,” Steele says.
Two Different Models of Strength
Her mother showed sacrifice. Her aunt showed strategy.
One worked double shifts and studied at night. The other built credit, property, and influence.
One encouraged creativity. The other demanded discipline.
Together, they created balance.
“I learned empathy from my mom,” Steele says. “I learned standards from my aunt.”
Carrying Their Influence Forward
Today, Steele is a Pulitzer Prize–winning newsroom contributor, author, and oral historian. She earned a Ph.D. in U.S. History in 2024. She documents underrepresented voices. She teaches. She writes. She preserves stories.
When she approaches an interview or drafts a manuscript, she hears them.
“My mom reminds me to be brave,” she says. “Ree reminds me to be excellent.”
The two women who shaped her life never wrote books. They never sought headlines. But their decisions ripple through every project Steele completes.
“Everything I’ve built traces back to them,” she says.
Their lessons were not abstract.
Work hard.
Speak up.
Do not shrink.
Finish what you start.
For Steele, inspiration is not a slogan. It is inherited responsibility.
And she carries it forward every day.
6-Question Q&A with Alysia Steele
- Who has influenced your career the most?
My mother and my Aunt Marie. They were very different, but both shaped how I move through the world. - What did your mother teach you?
Resilience. She worked factory jobs and went to nursing school at night, earning a 4.0 GPA. She showed me what commitment looks like. - What did your aunt teach you?
Standards. She believed Black professionals had to work twice as hard. She taught me to never become a statistic. - How did they shape your confidence?
My mom encouraged my photography. She let me walk city streets with a camera. My aunt pushed me academically. Between the two, I developed courage and discipline. - How do their lessons show up in your work today?
I don’t cut corners. I prepare. I push myself. I try to honor the sacrifices they made. - What keeps you going during hard seasons?
Thinking about whether they would be proud. That question still motivates me.
Pallavi Singal is the Vice President of Content at ztudium, where she leads innovative content strategies and oversees the development of high-impact editorial initiatives. With a strong background in digital media and a passion for storytelling, Pallavi plays a pivotal role in scaling the content operations for ztudium’s platforms, including Businessabc, Citiesabc, and IntelligentHQ, Wisdomia.ai, MStores, and many others. Her expertise spans content creation, SEO, and digital marketing, driving engagement and growth across multiple channels. Pallavi’s work is characterised by a keen insight into emerging trends in business, technologies like AI, blockchain, metaverse and others, and society, making her a trusted voice in the industry.
