For Heaven Malcolm, leadership starts with how you show up for your community.
The Garrett Morgan School of Leadership and Innovation junior was recently recognized as part of the inaugural class of the Cavaliers Social Impact Academy, an eight-month program created by the Cleveland Cavaliers to help young leaders across Cuyahoga County deepen their understanding of social impact, civic engagement, and community leadership.
Selected alongside 19 other high school students, Heaven participated in workshops and working sessions with organizations across Northeast Ohio, exploring topics including voting and civic engagement, food insecurity, equity, leadership, and community advocacy. The academy concluded with scholars presenting capstone projects inspired by what they learned throughout the year.
For Heaven, that project became deeply personal.
“My separate personal project is going to be the documentary that I’m going to do, which is Underestimation, Built the Land,” she shared. “It’s just me talking about how Cleveland’s been really underestimated and how our community still always bounces back.”
Her project reflects a strong sense of pride in Cleveland and the people continuing to shape it.
“One thing I would say I’ve learned from the Academy has definitely been to treat your home like a home,” Heaven said.
Throughout the academy, scholars explored issues affecting their communities and worked alongside local organizations to better understand how change happens and where their own voices fit in.
Heaven’s documentary idea is a reminder that Cleveland’s story is still being written by young people who see both its challenges and its strengths – and who are invested in what comes next.
