From left: Dr. Kideste Mariam Yusef and Samantha Haar

Dr. Kideste Mariam Yusef

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Director of the Center for Law and Social Justice, Bethune-Cookman University

As long as she can remember, Dr. Kideste Mariam Yusef was intrigued by the law.

“I’m not sure if it was my mother’s tales of how my great grandma worked as a rural lawyer in Ethiopia during a time when women rarely held such positions, or the plethora of crime shows I consumed,” says Yusef. “While I soon realized the practice of law was not the career I envisioned, my deep passion for justice and equality, particularly for marginalized groups, fueled my decision to focus on the intersection of criminal justice and African American studies, where I hoped to eventually impact public policy.”

Yusef received a Volunteer Service Award from the White House in July of 2023 for her work with the 400 Years of African American History Commission. 

“I’ve been so fortunate to walk in my passion and purpose and have countless opportunities to collaborate with brilliant and amazing individuals equally committed to effecting change in our world,” she says. 

Yusef is motivated by her parents in pursuing such change.

“My mother is still my litmus test for most things; she taught me the importance of vision, cultural pride, service and to strive for perfection in how you present yourself and your work. My father equally personified these attributes, while also serving as my moral compass. Though I’ve been blessed to receive some very humbling accolades, I still feel an urge to make them proud,” says Yusef.

Yusef’s civic highlights include co-organizing a re-enactment march of “Bloody Sunday” across the Edmond Pettus Bridge in Alabama; delivering remarks at the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta; moderating a panel focused on fear, intimate partner violence and criminal justice reform in the Congressional Auditorium at the White House Visitor Center; training the 2024 Miss Black USA pageant contestants; and delivering a keynote address to roughly 150 currently incarcerated men at Tomoka Correctional Institute in Volusia County

Samantha Haar

Media Executive Producer at T&D Media LLC.
Host of the podcast Samantics

Samantha Haar grew up listening to the radio show “Monsters in the Midday” and later interned on the show. She then volunteered for the podcast “A Mediocre Time with Tom and Dan,” and, deciding to move on from her corporate job, joined the team at T&D Media. Today, she runs her own podcast, Samantics.

“Essentially, I am a community-based storyteller and content maker highlighting locals and local events,” says Haar. “I help to bring awareness to charitable events, building a local community through media.”

Although her podcast has won Orlando Weekly’s award for “Best Local Podcast” since the show’s inception, Haar counts the good T&D does in the community among her greatest accomplishments.

“My position has allowed me to work with a number of different local charities and help get the word out about their causes, promote their events and raise money for them,” says Haar. “Some of the highlights for me are raising money annually for the Yellow Brick Road Foundation, a charity that serves and supports those families affected by congenital heart disease among children.

“We have always found a way to create our own events, such as our celebrity footgolf tournaments or a fundraiser at our annual Bad at Business Beer Fest in Sanford,” Haar continues. “Another personal highlight was collecting musical instruments and equipment for the Orlando Girls Rock Camp at the beginning of 2020 right during the kickoff of the pandemic shutdown. Orlando Girls Rock Camp helps girls, non-binary youth and women build self-esteem through music creation and performance. They were in need of various instruments and equipment, which we were able to provide through my personal podcast, Samantics.”

Haar is motivated by the desire to build a better community. 

“We have so much to offer within our own city that I wish more people would utilize. I want to provide a platform to showcase those organizations and give them the attention they deserve so that we can strengthen our community.”

Back to Orlando Magazine’s 2024 Women of the Year Honorees ➥