ATLANTA —
Albany State senior setter
Milan “MiMi” Harris has emerged as one of the SIAC’s most influential student-athletes, building a legacy rooted in leadership, purpose, philanthropy and service while using her social media platforms to uplift others.
A transfer from Alabama State and a member of the 2023 ASU recruiting class, Harris has transformed her journey into a blueprint for resilience.
“One of the biggest things for me is the impact you can have on others,” Harris said. “People are starting to see me as a role model. I’m showing them what’s possible, and hopefully they know they can do it too.”
That perspective was shaped long before her time at Albany State.
In February 2025, Harris shared a personal testimony on Instagram that detailed a season of adversity and growth, a message that quickly resonated with fellow student-athletes and various campus communities.
Harris suffered a torn labrum that required surgery and forced her into a lengthy rehabilitation process at the start of her senior year of high school. The setback sidelined her during her final season and cast doubt on her collegiate future, but she remained engaged and leaned on faith throughout the recovery.
“I spent my last season of high school volleyball on the bench with my arm wrapped in a sling while all of my friends played the game we grew up loving so much,” Harris said. “I learned that you can still be on a team in a different capacity, and I became the best cheerleader while my shoulder was gaining strength so I could play again.”
That experience continues to resonate, and Harris regularly hears from individuals who connect with her story in unexpected moments.
“People come up to me in the most random places, like in line at Chick-fil-A, and say, ‘I saw this video. I didn’t know you did that. I was going through something similar, and your video helped me a lot,’” Harris said.
As her platform expanded, Harris leaned into purposeful storytelling, highlighting the realities of life as an HBCU student-athlete while documenting leadership opportunities, networking events and internships.
Harris also introduced a weekly segment titled “Favor Fridays,” where she sits down with student-athletes, fellow HBCU students and parents to discuss faith, patience and purpose.
In recent posts, Harris has emphasized growth during seasons of waiting, encouraging her audience to remain grounded in faith during moments of uncertainty. Her message centers on the belief that perseverance produces purpose and that the rewards of patience extend beyond the struggles that precede them.
The series also creates space for multigenerational perspectives within the HBCU experience, as Harris features guests sharing how faith is sustained both on campus and at home. One conversation featured the mother of an HBCU student discussing how she supports her daughter’s journey through prayer and guidance.
Harris’ growing presence has also translated into opportunities beyond campus. She has built a diverse NIL and brand portfolio that includes Intuit TurboTax and Credit Karma, Aussie, Ultra Ankle, Mizani, ZIYNX, Wasserman, Takeya, AdvocateHER, BUBBL’R, HUETAPE, Firehouse Subs, TELFAR, Hot Pockets, UNDRDOG ATHLETIX, Avon, KR Scholars and Exclusively HBCU.
Harris also expanded her leadership development through national programs, participating in the USA Basketball Torch Mentoring Leadership Program. She helped create and host a virtual “Locker Room Hours” segment that addressed mental health, financial literacy and life after athletics, while also continuing her leadership training through the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP) Student Leadership Institute.
In May 2025, Harris elevated her voice on a national stage as a BSA Fellow at the Black Student-Athlete Summit, where she served as a panelist for “Name, Image and Blackness,” contributing to conversations surrounding equity and student-athlete identity.
“First, being unapologetic — showing your highs, showing your lows, showing everything in between,” Harris said. “If you win a game, show the steps that you took to get there. There’s a true joy and strength in just being a student-athlete, from balancing your academics, to leaning on your village, to remaining steadfast in your faith. Everything comes together to help tell the story.”
That same summer, Harris turned vision into action.
She launched the “MiMi’s Give Back to ASU Scholarship,” an initiative designed to support incoming freshmen and transfer students with financial assistance and essential dorm resources. Funded through her NIL earnings, brand partnerships and personal contributions, the program reflects her commitment to reinvesting in the Albany State community.
Applicants were required to submit a written response, 400 words or less, detailing why they chose Albany State, how they planned to maximize their campus and student experience, their commitment to community service, and how the scholarship would help them achieve their academic and personal goals.
Guided by Luke 12:48, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required,” Harris structured the scholarship awards into three tiers: a dorm refrigerator and monetary award for first place, a microwave and monetary award for second, and a curated basket of dorm essentials for third. A fourth award was also presented.
"Although there were only supposed to be three winners, I had to give another award," Harris said. "I was very impressed by their resilience and how they plan to make the best college experience possible for their time at ASU."
The initiative reflects Harris’ own journey.
“When you’re a transfer, you see things from a different perspective, and that’s where I was not long ago,” Harris said. “I wanted to help both financially and emotionally with incoming students, and pour back into a community that helped me.”
Harris’ commitment to service extends well beyond campus.
During the Thanksgiving season, Harris partnered with teammate Jayda Watson to launch a
holiday meal program through Walmart, providing full meals for families facing financial hardship. The initiative, funded by Harris, reached 14 families across Maryland, Georgia, Virginia and Washington, D.C., with each receiving enough food to prepare a complete holiday meal for a family of six.
That passion for community impact began early.
In 2020, Harris earned the Prudential Spirit of Community Service Award, the nation’s largest youth recognition program for volunteer service. She was recognized regionally in Arizona as a member of the Governor’s Youth Commission and nationally by former U.S. presidents Joe Biden and George W. Bush.
Since then, Harris has completed more than 720 documented service hours across Arizona, Louisiana, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Alabama and Georgia, in addition to international outreach efforts that included providing school supplies in Costa Rica and delivering books to students in St. Lucia and St. Kitts.
Harris, a health and human performance major specializing in exercise science, serves as a central figure on Albany State’s campus as a Holley Ambassador and a member of the Albany State Royal Court, where she holds the title of Second Attendant to Miss Albany State University. She is also active in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Delta Rho Chapter, serving as recording secretary.
Her campus involvement extends across multiple academic and leadership organizations, including Health Occupations Students of America, where she serves as vice president, as well as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Minority Women in Pre-Med and additional organizations focused on student development and service.
Harris is on track to graduate in May 2026.
She will continue her journey on a global stage this summer as a member of the HBCU Team competing in the Ditsala International Cup. The tour, scheduled for June 1–13, will include competition and cultural engagement in Gaborone, Francistown and Kasane, along with a visit to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Student-athletes will also participate in volleyball clinics, cultural immersion activities and safari excursions throughout Botswana.
Harris’ impact continues to grow, reflecting the SIAC’s commitment to developing leaders who excel academically, compete with integrity and serve their communities with purpose.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.