Shining Light on Black Excellence: Destiny Gardner

By Sofia Santiago

Destiny Gardner does it all. As a junior entrepreneurial studies major with a dance minor, Gardner currently serves as the president of Rider’s Dance Team, president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Nu Eta Chapter, the vice president of Rider’s National Pan-Hellenic Council, on top of working as the assistant gym director at the Little Gym of West Windsor and maintaining a 3.86 GPA.

“I try to beat myself from the day before. You’re in competition with yourself,” Gardner said about her mentality.

The oldest of five siblings, she credits her family as her biggest source of motivation and energy. She explained one of her goals is to be able to give back to her family, be a role model and build a legacy for her siblings, just as she feels her mother did for her. 

“My mom taught me how to be a strong woman, and [how to stay] determined through your goals and [set] the highest goal for yourself,” Gardner said.

Gardner started dancing at 5 years old, and began dancing competitively at 11 years old. Her love for dance also impacted her decision to minor in dance and join Rider’s Dance Team.

The Dance Team, having been suspended at the end of spring 2025, was able to make its return in fall 2025 in part because of the work that Gardner, along with junior musical theater major and Vice President of the Dance Team Maddie Quigley did over summer 2025. 

With the Dance Team performing on game days, which are usually Thursday through Sunday, Gardner and Quigley choreograph routines and lead practices on weekdays. Much of the work Gardner does in practice is teaching the team the choreography.

“I definitely learned patience,” Gardner said. For her, teaching the routines is not just about the movements. It is also breaking moves down to help others understand how things should be executed, and communicating her expectations in a way that everyone can understand.

As a leader, “I always make sure that my energy is always up to par when I walk into practice, even if I’ve had a bad day, because my energy affects the entire room,” Gardner said.

Her experience as a competitive dancer brought her a love of performing and taught her discipline and dedication, which she carries into other aspects of her life. 

Serving as the president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Nu Eta Chapter, and as the vice president of Rider’s National Pan-Hellenic Council, Gardner excels in leadership positions and at effectively managing her busy schedule. 

Kylah Frazier, Gardner’s friend, vice president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Nu Eta Chapter and sophomore musical theater major, commented on Gardner’s resilience. 

“She has a lot on her plate, and she still goes above and beyond to make sure all of our events are top tier and up to standards,” she said.

An essential part of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.’s mission is to be of “Service to All Mankind.” Gardner recalled recent service events with Emiija’s Hope, a nonprofit mentoring program for teenage girls located in Trenton, including hosting a toy drive, Christmas party and activities with the young girls in the mentoring program. 

“It really was amazing, to build those intimate bonds with them, but also serving in the community,” Gardner said.

Gardner’s professional interests also involve giving back to the community. After starting her own business in high school upon receiving a Cricut, a machine used to print designs on fabric, she realized that becoming her own manager and running a business was the right path for her.

In the future, Gardner hopes to travel and perform as a dancer, either for music artists or the Royal Caribbean cruise company, and later open her own dance studio. She also would enjoy owning a clothing line, highlighting her love for fashion. Her most ambitious goal, however, fits more in line with the service that she is currently doing.

“When I was younger, I would see those huge warehouses in Philly that were just abandoned. There’s so many people on the streets that have no warmth and no home to go back to. So I would love to fix one of those up and just create a home, a nice home for homeless people or those who don’t have one … I want to be able to gain enough to give back, like a lot, to the community,” Gardner said.

When asked how she would describe herself and her diverse goals, Gardner said, “I feel like I’m 100 different people.”

Frazier added, “Working with [Gardner] makes [my work] very easy because 10 times out of 10, she has everything handled before you even ask. Sometimes I’m just like, ‘when do you find the time in your day to do this?’”

This article is part of the Shining Light on Black Excellence series by The Rider News to showcase impactful Black figures on campus in honor of Black History Month.