OURFOUNDER
Aaron Harris, is the Founder and Executive Director of Keeping My Promise Inc. Prior to founding Keeping My Promise Inc., Aaron's career began as a Student Affairs professional serving in various roles across higher education. Institutions include Texas Christian University, Purdue University, Eastern Kentucky University, and Indiana University Southeast.
Aaron is also an accomplish public speaking. In April of 2021, Aaron delivered his marquee TEDx Talk, Pain: How to Work With Negatives to Make a Positive. Additionally, while in education, Aaron taught at Purdue University, leading university public speaking courses within the Brian Lamb School of Communications. Aside from teaching and student affairs, Aaron has served on a multitude of community development committees. These committees addressed topics such as: student outcomes; diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; males of color retention efforts; workforce development, youth advocacy, educational barriers, and financial aid & scholarships.
One of Aaron’s greatest accomplishments during the early stages of his higher education tenure was facilitating the establishment of the New Horizon’s Minority Scholarship at Eastern Kentucky University (https://stories.eku.edu/people/new-horizons-minority-scholarship-established). The New Horizon Minority Scholarship provides the access of education to students from urban and underserved communities. Previously, minority awards at EKU totaled $3,000 per year. However, the New Horizons Minority Scholarship covers up to full-tuition. Along with the establishment of the scholarship, Aaron was able to work with university administrators to earmark numerous scholarships to community organizations within the Louisville and Lexington, KY community addressing educational barriers.
In 2019, Aaron was selected to serve as the opening keynote and MC for Indianapolis Black Expo’s Youth Leadership Teen Summit. He also presented at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) national conference in Los Angeles, CA. The presentation addressed: historical context of PWI’s, implicit bias of institutions, current climate, student experiences, along with the role of practitioners in facilitating quality educational experiences. Additional presentation efforts include Indiana TRiO Association, Kentucky Association of Colleges and Admissions Counseling, and Kentucky Association of Blacks in Higher Education. In 2017, Aaron facilitated workshops at Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville, KY) Priority Institute for new educators in high-risk schools regarding connecting with males of color in the educational setting.
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Aaron earned a Master's of Science in Human Development and Leadership in December of 2014 and Bachelor of Science in Electronic Media & Organizational Communication in May of 2012, both from Murray State University. Always looking for ways to help others, Aaron is always seeking to improve the lives of those around him in anyway possible.
