Stories as bridges

As winter fell across Dayton, Te’Jal Cartwright ’14 stood center stage during an honorary brunch celebrating the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Microphone in hand, she moved from table to table, prompting conversations about faith, vocation and purpose. For Cartwright, her calling has always been about bringing people together.

The UD MLK events committee invited Cartwright to campus Jan. 20 to emcee a new MLK brunch. In the Kennedy Union ballroom, students, staff, faculty and community members gathered around the theme “The Rhythm of Values: The Spirit of Justice” and enjoyed performances by the UD Jazz Ensemble and Ebony Heritage Singers. Guiding the room, Cartwright shared her gift for storytelling — a superpower she discovered at UD and one that still connects her to the University community.

“I felt very supported through the journey. ...I really felt like UD did a very good job taking care of me.”

As an undergraduate, Cartwright chose UD for its intimacy and familiarity. She received strong support from mentors in UD’s multicultural student center, including Beverly Jenkins ’78 and Carlos Stewart, two trusted advisors.

“I felt very supported through the journey,” Cartwright said. “Financial journeys, academic journeys — I really felt like UD did a very good job taking care of me.”

A sociology class early on reshaped her worldview, challenging assumptions about gender roles and responsibilities. Faculty guided her and her classmates through intellectual struggle and growth. Originally an English major preparing to teach, she shadowed a classroom and realized she wasn’t a teacher; she was a storyteller. That clarity set her on a new path.

She began her career in digital marketing. While assisting her first client, Lore — a story coaching business — she discovered her love of narrative. She connected with the owner through shared aspirations, and when they stepped down, she was asked to take the lead. That opportunity became her gateway into coaching others.

“I truly believe that when people are connected to their own story, they’re able to have empathy for themselves and empathy for each other. So, we build community through storytelling.”

“The business really found me,” Cartwright noted. “I truly believe that when people are connected to their own story, they’re able to have empathy for themselves and empathy for each other. So, we build community through storytelling.”

Storytelling humanizes people and creates real connections in a world overwhelmed by misinformation and AI, she said. Face-to-face storytelling, she believes, will endure.

“There is an art to the way we communicate with each other. There is so much truth in our experiences, so I think my role here is to connect us through these hard times,” Cartwright said.

After years of building on lessons learned at UD, she accepted the University’s invitation to host the MLK event because she felt trusted to bring a fresh, cultural approach. The snowy weather, she said, was a blessing, allowing her son, Luke, to attend when his school closed.

Cartwright saw how conversations among people with differing experiences can continue King’s dream of unity. Representatives from each table stood to share the stories they heard. She said the room carried a sense of hope — a reminder that dialogue can lead to peace.

Photographs courtesy Te'Jal Cartwright and Sylvia Stahl.

A version of this article appears in print in the Spring 2026 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 47. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE