WGU Alumni Podcast
WGU’s alumni network now has more than 350,000 graduates living in all 50 states. The WGU alumni podcast highlights the incredible work that our alumni are doing in their local communities. We also share benefits, perks, resources and partner information to help our graduates stay engaged and get the most out of the alumni community.
WGU Alumni Podcast
Creating Tech with Purpose: Distinguished Graduate Destiny Hunter's Journey
Staff Sergeant Destiny Hunter of the U.S. Army Reserves shares her journey as a WGU Distinguished Graduate and founder of Kuinua Tech, a company creating innovative technology solutions with military efficiency while supporting veterans and underserved populations.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How Destiny completed her WGU master’s program while actively serving in the military
- The origin story behind Kuinua Tech and its mission to uplift overlooked communities
- Why she believes ethical AI must be driven by diverse teams and human accountability
Hey everybody, welcome back to the WGU Alumni Podcast. We're thrilled to have you tuning in for yet another interview, and we are excited to introduce another distinguished graduate here in 2025, and that would be Destiny Hunter. I'm excited to welcome her to the program. She is a staff sergeant with the US Army Reserves and she recently created a company in the IT space that provides solutions for veterans and other underserved populations, and I'm super excited to welcome Destiny to the podcast. Hello, destiny.
Speaker 2:Hi, how are you?
Speaker 1:We surprised you with the news that you were a distinguished graduate, one of 14 for the year 2025. Has the news set in yet that you're famous, Destiny?
Speaker 2:It's definitely a shock, for sure, and I'm very appreciative of being selected.
Speaker 1:Well, it's very well deserved, and I look forward to giving you this platform to just share some of the great things that you're doing. From the brief bio that I highlighted, you're very active in the community with the nation's services and just all that you're doing, and so tell our audience what company you founded and exactly what you do with that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I founded Kuinua Tech. It was started in 2020. It is essentially creative technology solutions with military efficiency. That's what I like to say, and we have a big philanthropic process that we like to partake in every year, as it was started through philanthropy, of trying to help underserviced students in my area and even in other states that I was getting notifications from, based on friends and family who really needed support as far as laptops and devices to be able to continue their education.
Speaker 1:That's great. Now, what's the most exciting thing that you're working on right now in that work?
Speaker 2:I think the most exciting thing that I'm working on right now is the Kuinula Trailblazers Initiative. I'm really trying to partner with, hopefully, some of the colleges that I'm an alumni of, of helping to provide extra opportunities for students as well as veterans who are coming out of service in hopes that they have a better chance in the job market, which is really really tough right now for a lot of them.
Speaker 1:Remind me what degree that you earned from WGU and when you graduated.
Speaker 2:So I graduated August 2023. I got a master's in management and leadership.
Speaker 1:Okay, how did the degree work out for you? Did you enjoy the program?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I think it's definitely helped bolster the way that I approach my business and even as a staff sergeant in the Army, I think being able to kind of make the opportunity to tell my soldiers to go to WGU as well A great point of highlighting, because I thought the curriculum was great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's fantastic. And how long have you been in the service? You've been a staff sergeant just recently, but you've been in the US Army Reserves for quite some time now. Remind me when you started.
Speaker 2:I started at the tender age of 23 in 2017. So it's seven years right now.
Speaker 1:Okay, what attracted you to the service?
Speaker 2:I think, just the idea of doing something bigger than myself and opening up myself to more opportunities. Especially in my area, there is a lot of veteran presence, including within my own family. My great grandfather was an Air Force service member. My father and my stepfather were Army, so my uncle was Navy. I've been around it my whole life.
Speaker 1:Many in our audience will know, we have the theme of it's never too late, and it's interesting because everybody that comes to WGU has a unique journey and a unique story, maybe a unique reason to coming to WGU to earn a degree, and so we kind of want to tackle that. So I'm curious how you found WGU and why you enrolled. What was your motivation?
Speaker 2:I found WGU through my battle buddy, kendall Powell. We tend to force each other to grow within both our military and civilian careers, from certifications to degrees. He introduced me to WGU saying, hey, you're really smart and this is a program where, you know, if you have a lot of stick-to-it-ness and are well at self-managing, you can really get some great degrees out of it and experience. So I went into looking after it and I was like, oh, this is perfect, this is exactly what I'm looking for. And he is still pursuing his bachelor's degree, I believe, at WGU too. So it's a healthy, friendly competition of us trying to keep the other accountable.
Speaker 1:That's great. Yeah, Accountability is a big piece of WGU. Obviously, we have those program mentors that help support and make sure that you're successful. Destiny, as I think you know, WGU has a really strong presence within the military community and we hear from a lot of individuals that it works really well with military backgrounds. And again, meeting our students where they're at From your perspective. Tell us about the program and how it worked with you, how it benefited you, having served in the military.
Speaker 2:Yes, I think the flexibility goes a long way. There were times when I was writing my papers and submitting them while I was at drill or during AT, when I had downtime. I wasn't stuck to a particular building, if you will, to get my education. I think that goes a long way. I also think the hours, if you will, of allowing for uploads or taking tests were great. From what I remember, there were some pretty great hour ranges for tests, everything from 2 am to 11 o'clock at night. So I think that's why it benefits the military populace so much because we have the capacity to be flexible and allow us to get our education on our own time as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and a lot of financial assistance, scholarships, benefits, the GI Bill, things like that right that make it a really good fit for military members.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and it's affordable compared to most colleges.
Speaker 1:I'm curious if I were to ask you, like one to two words, how would you sum up your experience at WGU?
Speaker 2:For adults. Okay, it's very, even though we have great counselors and things like that, I felt like for the first time in college I was being treated as an adult who was expected to keep to their own schedule and you were not limited by the infrastructure that other people's other people might have thought best benefit you, and I really love that about WGU. I really hope you guys get a PhD program eventually.
Speaker 1:You were in the service Plus. It sounds like you had your company up and running. So how? How were you able to juggle and manage all of that?
Speaker 2:Honestly, I have been very much a juggler since the age of seven. I played a basketball and my mother was always very big on academics. So if I was going to be a ballplayer I needed to be a straight A and B student. So I was very much already trained to behave like this. So it was just another I would say goal that I had and I said, okay, you know, it's time to lock in and knock it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great. Now you said for adult. I like that. You know you were treated as an adult. Was there an unexpected surprise, or maybe something that you didn't anticipate when you enrolled at WGU, that you found?
Speaker 2:I think what I didn't anticipate when I first started my management degree program was just the speed of it all. Like reading it, you know, is one thing and they're like, hey, you can really do whatever you know suits you. But when I really was able to get in there and have the opportunity to be like, ok, well, I know I can write for this and you know you submit it or you take your test and it really is just roll right into the next class, I truly believe more colleges need to take on that approach. I'm currently in the process of getting a PhD in computer science at National University. It's a great school, but I definitely miss the structure of WGU.
Speaker 1:What are your plans with that degree? This will be your third degree, right? You have an undergrad, and then obviously, a master's from WGU and then a PhD. What are your plans with that degree? This will be your third degree, right? You have an undergrad and then obviously a master's from WGU and then a PhD. What are your plans with that?
Speaker 2:So it's actually my fourth. I do have an associate's degree. Okay, Apologies. Yeah, hopefully, policymaking as artificial intelligence, because that is kind of my specialization. That is what I'm focusing on in a lot of my projects. I do build in that arena now a lot of automation, a lot of artificial intelligence, and I think I would just like to be one of the people that are part of the policymaking processes. Or you know the understanding of saying like, hey, yes, this is a tool and it can be beneficial, but it can also have some drawbacks. So we need to be smart and be forward thinking and think of how that affects people's families, and you know the capacity for jobs and things of that nature.
Speaker 1:I want to, if it's okay, ask you a little bit about AI or just kind of getting into it or learning about it. From your perspective and your experience with artificial intelligence, what's the most exciting thing that you think is gonna transpire over the next several years?
Speaker 2:The most exciting thing, I would say, at least in my lane, of what I'm producing. I think it has the capacity of being helpful for small businesses, especially when you're just starting up and maybe you don't have a whole lot of funds to hire a bunch of people. I've built products that I use within my business for myself, so I find it quite beneficial, but I also have seen, while doing my PhD, some huge strides, if you will kind of like, in the medical realm. Now, granted, I do think we still need the human in the loop thing going on, but I do think having AI be able to detect breast cancer really early is very interesting and could be really beneficial to the human race.
Speaker 1:Is there anything that scares you?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, just like the untapped level of its capacity to learn. Right now, I think we as humans get really excited and we might make a few miscalculations here or there that could be detrimental, as well as some of the cybersecurity risks that can come from artificial intelligence if you don't have a strong cyber force. If you will, I think those are probably the two major things that come to my mind at first.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely something to keep an eye on and love that you're involved in it in terms of your with your business, also in your military service and, it sounds like in the curriculum of the coursework that you're studying, which is which is fascinating, which is really really cool, destiny. Now I want you just to give me a little bit of some advice or some direction and, by extension, the audience here, and that is you've been successful throughout your relatively brief career. Right, you're just getting started. You got a lot of things ahead of you, but what is something that you've learned? Maybe a career or a life hack that has helped you be so successful as you've juggled the various things that you have?
Speaker 2:I think I will quote something from a movie I used to love as a little girl and it was called Balto 2, wolf's Quest, and there is a spiritual mouse for lack of a better term that simply says have faith in yourself and take the journey. I think that is something that sticks with me to this day. I think that is what has helped get gotten me this far. Just kind of be relentless and have faith in yourself. I think you will come across barriers regardless of what you try to do Right, and nobody can really tell you no, but you if you give up.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, that's, that's great advice. Yeah, Really believe in yourself. Have faith in yourself. Destiny, who's somebody that inspires you?
Speaker 2:My mother for sure. That's my superhero. Yeah, tell me why. Honestly, she is the reason I'm as accomplished as I am today. She was very accomplished before and after she had me, so I had a really great role model. She is also someone who constantly tells me you know, if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. You know, nobody has the final say but you and God. You know, for anybody that's religious, I'm a Christian and God. You know, for anybody that's religious, I'm a Christian. But I think just seeing her live her life every day and be exceptional and then also be expecting what's the word to be extraordinary, right for me and just supportive, I think that has brought me very far. You know, she helped me start my business. Occasionally, she still helps me do things for my business. She was there for every basketball game, every you know choir session, every cut, every scrape. That's, that's my superhero, that's my muse, if you will Love that.
Speaker 1:Thank you for sharing that. That's great. Now, as we look into the future, I want you to tell me what you're most excited to work on or to accomplish over the next one to two years. We've already kind of talked about. Obviously, you're involved in schooling and the other things that you're doing, but is there anything that stands out to you over the next one to two years that you're hopeful to accomplish?
Speaker 2:That I'm hopeful to accomplish, I think, within my business. I would like to, like I said, partner with maybe some colleges that I've been part of and help the student body slash veterans get their start. Been doing that slowly but surely Outside of the business field. I'm very excited for my PhD work. Outside of the business field, I'm very excited for my PhD work. I'm currently already like a published, already have like a published PhD document out, which I think is super cool. But I really think outside of that, I'm excited to, in this next phase of my life, if you will, as far as family is concerned as well.
Speaker 1:So that sounds very interesting. Do you mind elaborating a little bit more on the paper and like an overall summary and what you're hoping to accomplish with this piece?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the paper is called the artificial intelligence and the capacity for discrimination, the imperative need for frameworks, diverse teams and human accountability.
Speaker 2:And, as I mentioned previously, I've been doing a lot of research as far as AI in the medical field goes.
Speaker 2:There have been some great strides but of course, nothing's perfect and there have been some instances where there has been a sort of bad calls, if you will, based on people's ethnicity and races.
Speaker 2:So, for example, the paper goes over how Black women ethnicity and races. So, for example, the paper goes over how Black women usually eight out of ten times or seven out of ten times, somewhere around that metric are recommended for a C-section, while white women are often only two out of ten times recommended, or things such as, you know, blood work requirements or even skin cancer. A lot of these different things are popping up to have the capacity to essentially be more aggressive as far as what would the word be as far as treatments are concerned, versus their white counterparts. So I do think it could be great moving forward if we're conscious of that, but we do need to have what's called like the human in the loop theory. There's always a human double checking, cross checking and making sure that the computer is not making assumptions based off of people's backgrounds and ethnic excuse me background and ethnic heritage.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's interesting. If people want to learn more and maybe access this paper, where can they go find that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I actually have it posted on my LinkedIn. My LinkedIn name is DJ Morgan, which is D-E-E-J-A-Y Morgan. It is also posted on IG Men Research, a huge place for medical and technology research papers, if you will, and you should be able to find it by searching for the title as well.
Speaker 1:That's great. Yeah, I'm definitely going to want to check that out. Fascinating stuff. If individuals from this audience wanted to connect with you, maybe those that are in the veteran space or those from education that think there might be an opportunity to collaborate where can people find you?
Speaker 2:I can be found on LinkedIncom as DJ Morgan. You can also reach out directly through my website at kuinuatechorg.
Speaker 1:Awesome. We've got a growing alumni base throughout the country, which is great. We've got a really good presence in the DC area. And where are you calling in from today?
Speaker 2:I'm calling in from Waldorf, Maryland, known as Chuck County. Okay, Is that home for you? Yes, it's very much home for me. I've been here since a teenager, really old, preteen really. So I have no plans of leaving. I love the little suburb countryside.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a great part of the country. Tell me the best thing about Maryland.
Speaker 2:The best thing about Maryland, I would say. I think it has its own personality. We are very much crab people, despite being very close to DC. We do share a lot of similarities, but we also have our own culture here, and I think that's what makes it so much fun, because there is water. If you really want to, there's a lot of waterfront properties out here, or you can be in the countryside where I am, where we ride horses and, you know, do a lot of different things that are kind of country-ish, if you will.
Speaker 1:Destiny, this has been such a great interview. We know that you're busy and we appreciate the time and the insights that you've been able to share with me and our audience here today. As we conclude the interview, I'd love to give you the final words, so any final parting words as we wrap today.
Speaker 2:Yes, have faith and trust in yourself and make the journey.
Speaker 1:Love that. Thanks so much.
Speaker 2:Thank you.