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Zion Cannon is a St. Louis native. On September 25th, 2004, her mom already knew there was a plan for her to be different. At home, Zion was taught to read, write, and do mathematics with the help of her mother before school ever could. This placed her in a great position to excel academically as soon as she began attending elementary school.

Zion has a younger brother, LaMarr Cannon (12), who has been her shadow since the day he was born. LaMarr attends Hazelwood North Middle as a 6th grader. He constantly speaks of how much he wants to be like her. LaMarr is her biggest fan, and he cannot wait to see her through all her aspirations.

Zion enjoys all types of music, listening to podcasts, reading, scenery, and food in her free time. Some of her favorite artists & podcasts include Brent Faiyaz and Unpack ' n Bounce Back. Her favorite types of books are dystopian and poetry. She loves to travel just to see new places and try the many food options they offer.

Currently, Zion is a Senior at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School. She has maintained a 4.0 and the title of class president all four years. She is now the #1 candidate for valedictorian of 2023. Throughout high school, Zion has been a cheer captain, national CRCP spokesperson, Sisterhood member, debate club member, lead vocalist in the CRCP gospel ensemble, student ambassador, Girls Inc. member, and more. She completed all these accomplishments through two leg surgeries and learning to walk again.

Zion also worked in high school and outside of the classroom to obtain her Associate of General Studies from STLCC in her sophomore year. She plans to continue her education at Columbia University of New York or Xavier University of New Orleans to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. Her goals are to become chief of her surgery branch, create a social media platform for black medical students, and promote heart health in the black community.

Dr. Candace N. Hall, class of 2006, is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and director of the Higher Education Student Affairs program. Her research interests include recruiting, retaining, and supporting Black faculty at historically white institutions. Hall aims to show the possibility of Black joy in the academy, hoping that more people will invest in spaces where Black faculty can authentically experience joy, hope, and community. Her recent project, Cluster Luck, an award-winning documentary short, highlights the experiences of a group of Black faculty within a department at a historically white institution. This short film unpacks what community means and what it looks like for Black scholars to have supportive communities within their departments at their institutions.

Hall is the Vice President of Faculty for the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) and inaugural faculty fellow for the IRIS Center of Digital Humanities. Hall was awarded the Defender of Equity award by the Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) Office at SIUE in Fall 2021. In 2022, Hall was named Outstanding Young Alumni by the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Hall earned her doctorate in education (EdD) in Higher Education Leadership at Maryville University, a master's of arts (MA) in Communication Arts in the School of Education at Webster University, and a bachelor's of arts (BA) in English from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She attended Cardinal Ritter College Prep for all four years and graduated in 2006.