Aliyah S. Drake
Aliyah S. Drake is Secretary and Brand Ambassador of the “mom-profit” organization Mama, GetUp! A Christian community for underserved mothers in the Philadelphia area.
The backdrop of Community Service
Aliyah S. Drake was born and raised in Mount Airy, a culturally diverse, quaint neighborhood on Philadelphia’s northwest side, later moving with her family to West Oak Lane. She grew up with loving parents who served their community in the healthcare field. Their work was a natural extension of who they were. Aliyah’s parents cared for people in need, and this reality – that people matter to God -- impacted Aliyah’s life from an early age. Both parents encouraged Aliyah to also pursue a career in healthcare, but Aliyah’s childhood dream was to become a hair stylist, to travel the world styling hair. However, that dream changed the day Aliyah landed her first job.
Like Mother, Like Daughter
Aliyah’s mother worked as a Registered Nurse at a busy community hospital in South Philadelphia, and she invited her daughter to join her for a shift. Aliyah was able to see firsthand what really goes on in hospitals and the amount of work and struggles that healthcare workers face daily. Soon, Aliyah applied to work alongside her mother part-time. Aliyah knew that by working in healthcare, she could gain a better understanding of people’s needs, and she hoped her job could give her the platform to help her community make a change in their overall health and wellbeing. Plus, she knew some people just need a listening ear, and Aliyah hoped to use her life story to bless and encourage those she served.
Life Without a Mom
But life wasn't so easy for Aliyah. Sadly, when she was just 18 years old, Aliyah's kind-hearted and compassionate mother suddenly passed away, dealing a great blow that changed Aliyah’s life dramatically. However, this traumatic event forced Aliyah to grow in ways she'd never had to before, to wrestle with issues new to her, and deal with and learn things on her own. Thanks to God, her immediate family, and her closest friends, Aliyah was able to stay focused on who Good wanted her to be.
Following In Mom’s Shoes
With a fresh determination to follow in her parent’s footsteps, Aliyah enrolled in college and earned an Associate of Arts Degree from Montgomery County Community College in 2017. Then she decided to take her healthcare career further by becoming a Patient Care Technician at a local dialysis center. Her previous professional experiences helped prepare her for the rigors of caring for those with varying degrees of kidney failure, and Aliyah knew that her passion for caring for hurting people stemmed from that first day at work with her mom.
A Step Further
In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Aliyah decided to enroll in an LPN Nursing Program. Many told her she was crazy for going to nursing school during such a difficult time, and to try to learn to nurse online was an unproven concept, too. Thankfully, even with the odds against her, Aliyah pushed through and finished the program on April 14, 2022, just exactly a day before the 10-year anniversary of her mother’s death. Aliyah knows her mother was with her the whole time she was studying. Her, she sees nursing as such a rewarding career that she wouldn’t want her life to be any other way.
Guiding Principles
Aliyah lives by these words of wisdom she learned from her mother's example: “You can do anything if you put your mind to it, so don’t let anyone or anything stop you from accomplishing your goals. With much prayer, hard work, and dedication, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.” The philosophy lives out in Aliyah’s daily habits and is a reason she’s able to forge strong relationships with everyone around her.
Since 2019 Aliyah has joined with the volunteer staff of Mama, GetUp! to serve as Secretary and Brand Ambassador for the ambitious “mom-profit”. In her role as Secretary, she maintains the organization’s schedule and membership records, sends out reminders for meetings, and keeps notes and the all-important timer at meetings. In her newly-added role as Brand Ambassador, Aliyah helps promote the mom-profit by driving its marketing and content creation. She has a passion for volunteering and helping those in need, believing in the principle she learned as a child: serving others brings much joy!
