Dance fills a certain void for Danielle Walker.
A third-year nursing student at Florida A&M University, Walker was born June 15, 2001, in Fort Lauderdale. She grew up in a large family with three brothers and one sister.
She was raised by both of her parents who are no longer together but come together for the support of the family. Walker’s mother is a lunch lady, and her father is a longshoreman. She was taught the importance of higher education and where that could place her in life later down the road.
Growing up, Walker was active in the dance community and was adamant about honing her craft as well as being exposed to different styles of dance.
She started off dancing with her church’s praise and worship group from a young age. When she got to high school, she decided she wanted to make a change and joined her high school majorette team. This was a pivotal moment in Walker’s dance career, even if she didn’t know it was preparing her to become captain of the Venom Dance Pom Squad later in college.
“I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember,” Walker said, “I can’t imagine my life without it.”
Being a first-generation college student, Walker always knew she wanted to attend an HBCU. She wanted to be surrounded by a community of people that looked like her while receiving a college degree. She said FAMU was the right choice for her considering its excellent nursing program, the many opportunities FAMU has to offer, and the fact that she’s still in the state when it comes down to the financials.
During Walker’s first year at FAMU, she knew she wanted to do more on campus while generating money. So, she started her own business, Faced by Majesty. Faced By Majesty focuses on providing makeup services. She offers many different looks, such as; Soft Glam, Full Glam, Naked Beat and other services provided on her Instagram page @facedbymajesty.
Her friend Tiah Fuller was the one friend who encouraged Walker to take her makeup business seriously.
“I told her she’s really good; this could be her side hustle that she needs to take more seriously,” Fuller said.
After Walker’s first two years on campus, she decided to get back into dance and auditioned for the Venom Dance Pom Squad. After she made the team, she met her soon-to-be co-captain, Jerriah Jackson. Their first semester on the team was a tough one because members were trying to make a name for themselves.
“We were newbies on the team, and we had to earn our spot, so of course, it wasn’t going to be easy,” Jackson said.
After their first semester on the team, Walker and Jackson were both granted co-captain positions after their previous captain graduated.
This leadership role bettered them both by forcing them to take on responsibility and helping to improve their time-management skills. This platform also gave them creative freedom where they experimented with new styles of dance.
Approaching her junior year, Walker is looking forward to building her relationship with the team as well as taking on new members in the upcoming semester. She will be entering her second year in nursing school and is excited to learn more about her potential options after graduation.
She plans on growing her business and finding more effective ways of taking on new clients while maintaining her other priorities and schoolwork.