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Connections

A local leader's "life-changing" trip to Ghana

Three smiling people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left is bald and is wearing glasses, a bright yellow hooded sweatshirt and a white button-down shirt; a man at center has short dark hair and a dark beard and is wearing a grey pullover fleece, white button-down shirt and blue tie; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a light blue button-down shirt and a pink and blue plaid tie.
David Griffin
/
WXXI News
Ajoua Jackson and Shaun Nelms on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on January 21, 2025
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
WXXI News

Shaun Nelms has been a school superintendent, a member of numerous local boards (including WXXI), and the author of a book about leadership.

One of his life goals was to take his children to Ghana — to see the beauty, and also to see the "slave castles," which served as the final stopping point before thousands of Africans were sent across the ocean, never to return.

Nelms has returned an evangelist for this kind of experiential travel. He joins us to share the range of emotions he experienced.

In studio:

  • Shaun Nelms, professor and William & Sheila Konar director of the Center for Urban Education Success at the Warner School of Education, and vice president of community partnerships at the University of Rochester; and author of "Leading with Purpose"
  • Ajoua Jackson, owner of AJ Excursions

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson" and is also the office administrator for radio, news and technology and operations. She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.