Kazembe Abif, 33
After a professional basketball career overseas, Kazembe Abif returned to the United States to lead community school initiatives and expand opportunities for urban youth.
Kazembe Abif is a natural born leader. And it’s not just because he can dunk. It was clear from his time as an undergraduate at Drexel, where he was the captain of the basketball team and on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. He earned both his BS in sport management and MS in hospitality management from Drexel, and after leaving campus played professional basketball for the next seven years in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Portugal and Canada.
“Drexel University laid the foundation for me to persevere through any obstacles and face any challenges head on.” Kazembe Abif
After returning to the United States, he pivoted to the education nonprofit sector, working for the YMCA of Greater Boston with a strategy focused on expanding community schools. With the Y, he has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding, led initiatives on expanded learning opportunities and worked with community members on self-advocacy. In 2024, Abif enrolled in the Harvard Graduate School of Education to pursue an advanced education degree. He balanced full-time work with full-time study and graduated in 2025 with a master’s degree in Education Leadership, Organizations and Entrepreneurship. He’s also a program leader for a mentorship group The Gathering, which supports young men of color in grades 9 through 12. Through this program, he has led college tours across the country, trips to NASA, outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking and other expanded learning opportunities. Though life took him off the basketball court, he’s only grown stronger off it.
In his own words…
My Greatest Accomplishment:
Graduating from Drexel. Having my family and friends support me on my pursuit of both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Drexel and knowing how proud I made them will forever hold a special place in my heart.
How Drexel Shaped My Path:
Drexel was a place where I was able to grow into manhood. The life lessons and relationships that I have made along the way come second to none. Drexel was the first place where I learned how to build transformative relationships and to walk in rooms being my authentic self.
Where I Hope To Be in Five Years:
I hope to have a flourishing youth education foundation that allows me to create expanded learning opportunities for urban youth. I hope to be a husband and father that can bring my family to Drexel basketball games so they can experience a place that brought me so much joy in my life. DM
