Chelcey Leahman has learned that on the other side of obstacles are opportunities.
“I was leaving Alcorn one day during my senior year and right before you get to Fayette [MS], it was storming really bad but beyond the storm I could see where I was going. It was sunny and the clouds were out,” she said. “That’s just how life is. Everybody has obstacles but as long as I can see beyond it I just push through because the storm is going to end.”
This is the story of how Leahman, a 20-something mother of one, model and actress describes herself.
She has some very bright dreams of becoming one of the greatest black female producers of her time.
“One of my favorite things to do is create movies,” said Leahman. “I like to bring people’s visions to life. I’ve worked on production with people such as Arsenio Hall, Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy and Chadwick Boseman.”
Her interest in working with the media is simply an extension of herself and she believes that her career mirrors her personality. After struggling with the decision of what major to settle on during her undergraduate years at Alcorn State University, conversations with her peers led her directly to mass communications.
“I started off at Alcorn as a computer science major and then I changed to nursing because I got pregnant and needed to do something that was smart and pertinent to helping people so that I would always have a job and it just was not working at all,” she said. “It just wasn’t for me. So during my sophomore year I was in JROTC and they noticed that I was good at writing and talking so they asked why I wasn’t majoring in mass communications. After I did a few classes with one of the mass communications professors, Mr. Sanders, and working with Curtis Aaron and working on projects on my own I saw what it was all about and that’s how I knew I was in the right field.”
Since making the choice to dive into communications Leahman has excelled with her career. She has modeled for several photographers, hosted a slew of events, acted, managed her own YouTube channel and even started her own media business, Czah Media Entertainment.
Her newest accomplishment is her role in an unreleased film.
“I’m actually waiting on a movie that I’m in to drop so that I can announce it,” she said. “It was actually supposed to drop on August 7th but due to coronavirus and movie theaters being closed they haven’t been able to release it but I am waiting.
“This is probably one of the biggest productions that I have been a part of but due to nondisclosures I can’t say what the name of the film is.”
Leahman also has her own film in the works as well.
“I’m actually collabing with Zada Collins, also known as ‘Brave Chic’. She is a big advocate for Alcorn sports and I am the producer for her documentary.”
As she moves forward in making a name for herself in the media, Leahman hopes that her efforts show people that giving up is never an option.
“Don’t settle and don’t give up,” she said. “Some things that you do may be a part of your journey but that’s not your whole story. So if you feel like you’re not supposed to be doing something or you’re not where you want to be then don’t stop there.”
Chelcey is always open to collaborating with other media personnel for any project and can be reached through her Facebook and Instagram pages.
-Interviewed by Gabrielle Terrett
