Evrod Cassimy

1 month ago | nbcchicago.com | Evrod Cassimy

Lakina Mabins is a mother of five, working two jobs to make ends meet -- and still, this month she's graduating college at the top of her class, fulfilling a dream 20 years in the making. Mabins now has a degree in criminal justice from Kennedy King College, proof, she said, that it's never too late to accomplish your dreams. “It felt really great, very rewarding because I worked so hard,” Mabins, who was 2025's valedictorian, told NBC Chicago. But the journey to graduation wasn't an easy one.

1 month ago | nbcwashington.com | Evrod Cassimy

When Mika Stambaugh went to the dermatologist for a simple skin check, she didn't expect to leave that appointment with a gaping hole in her face. "Shocked. Shocked. I mean scared, like whoa," the 43-year-old said of her emotions during what she thought would be a routine visit. But the appointment actually marked the start of a months-long nightmare for Stambaugh. "[The doctor] walked in the room. Within one minute he was like, 'What's that on your face?' I was like 'I don't know.

1 month ago | nbcnewyork.com | Evrod Cassimy

When Mika Stambaugh went to the dermatologist for a simple skin check, she didn't expect to leave that appointment with a gaping hole in her face. “Shocked. Shocked. I mean scared, like whoa," the 43-year-old said of her emotions during what she thought would be a routine visit. But the appointment actually marked the start of a months-long nightmare for Stambaugh. “[The doctor] walked in the room. Within one minute he was like, 'What’s that on your face?' I was like 'I don’t know.

1 month ago | nbcchicago.com | Evrod Cassimy

When Mika Stambaugh went to the dermatologist for a simple skin check, she didn't expect to leave that appointment with a gaping hole in her face. “Shocked. Shocked. I mean scared, like whoa," the 43-year-old said of her emotions during what she thought would be a routine visit. But the appointment actually marked the start of a months-long nightmare for Stambaugh. “[The doctor] walked in the room. Within one minute he was like, 'What’s that on your face?' I was like 'I don’t know.

Feb 17, 2025 | nbcchicago.com | Evrod Cassimy

Two Chicago-area women are on a mission to encourage African Americans to take mental health more seriously. "I didn’t want to be here anymore and that’s all I knew is that I didn’t want to be, here but I have kids that I had to live for," said Janine Williams. Janine Williams recently detailed the lowest point in her battle against depression, which started with a personal family issue for the mother of two and spiraled into a dark place. “It was lonely," she said. "I felt unsupported.