Transfer Spotlight

Transfer Spotlight: Chiedza Hooker

By: Jess Bush

Chiedza Hooker always knew she wanted to join the Junior League. Growing up in Winston-Salem, Chiedza had a lot of teachers and knew many older women who belonged to the League. These women influenced her life and inspired her to want to join the Junior League of Winston-Salem (JLWS) in 2018 after graduating from Wofford College in South Carolina.

Transferring to the Junior League of Charlotte and the Little Black Dress Initiative

Chiedza and her husband moved to Charlotte for his job. Matthew is clerking for one year with North Carolina Business Court Judge Adam M. Conrad before going into practice.

Early in this League year, Chiedza participated in a Transfer orientation at Freedom Park where she got to meet some of the other new Transfers. It was a very hot Charlotte summer day, and following social distancing guidelines, it was a small group meeting outdoors. The meeting ended up being very pivotal for Chiedza because only a small group of women attended and she was able to better connect with them. She learned that they had a lot of shared connections. Chiedza explained that the “Junior League is a great connector for women and breaks barriers no matter where you are since it’s a shared mission and purpose.”

This year, Chiedza was part of the Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI) committee. The Initiative is a week-long awareness campaign that coincides with International Women’s Day. Chiedza explained that the “program encourages you to be an advocate where you are, and is there to bring awareness to poverty in our community.” No matter what your occupation, you can wear a black outfit and support the program, which brings awareness to the plight of poverty, and shows that some people don’t have the option to buy a new dress or outfit when they need one.

Chiedza previously participated in the Winston-Salem League’s inaugural LBDI, so was thrilled to continue to be involved in the campaign here in Charlotte.

Working on Moderna’s Vaccine Trials

Chiedza’s job has also shifted a lot over the past year. Chiedza works for Javara, a clinical research company that assisted Moderna in their clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine. Chiedza was able to transfer her job to the Charlotte location and pivot from marketing to patient engagement for the Moderna Phase 3 clinical trials. She’s in the clinic every day doing vaccine trial research, working long but worthwhile hours. Chiedza says it was an exciting day when the FDA announced that the Moderna vaccine was approved. During her time with Javara, Chiedza watched the Charlotte location go from three to about 25 employees, all involved in the big team effort of enrolling almost 500 patients in the clinical trial. She was able to help make a world of difference and be involved in an amazing experience that she says she “never could have imagined in a million years.”

Her Pandemic Wedding and The New York Times

Chiedza and her now husband, Matthew, got engaged in August 2019 and had originally planned for a large wedding in May 2020 with 200 guests. However, after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and with the safety restrictions in place, Chiedza and Matthew decided to cut down the number of attendees to 15 people, including themselves. They moved the venue outside and settled on a courtyard at the school Chiedza grew up going to, since it was beautiful and had a special place in her heart. Chiedza explained that even with all the changes, it was a “great day surrounded by people that loved us, and we wouldn’t change that day even with all the craziness going on in the world.”

Their wedding story was featured in The New York Times. Chiedza has always loved reading The New York Times, especially the wedding announcements, and so she told her husband that they should submit their announcement to see what happens. Since it’s very competitive to have an announcement in the papers’ wedding section, they forgot about it until they received a call asking to interview them about their wedding story. The article chronicles their inspiring love story and ability to pivot during unprecedented times.

Reflecting on the Past and Looking to the Future

Chiedza’s message is that “the past year has been so challenging for everyone” but wants everyone “to do their best and stay positive; there is light at the end of the tunnel and to just remember to have hope in this season.” She says that hopping on the phone or a zoom call to interact with people you normally connect with – a loved one or friend, helped her immensely during this time. Moving to a new city during a pandemic, the JLC has helped her connect and make new friends.

Chiedza is planning on exploring her career options in the future. She was accepted into the MBA program at Wake Forest for Fall 2021, but doesn’t want to limit herself. After transitioning out of marketing she realized there is so much more out there to do. But one thing is for sure, she plans on continuing her time in the Junior League and staying connected.