keynote speaker - we are r.i.s.e.

Last week, I had the opportunity of joining We Are R.I.S.E. to celebrate their six year anniversary as their featured keynote speaker and it was an incredibly inspiring experience. 

R.I.S.E. standing for Resilient, Intelligent, Successful, and Empowered was founded to empower young girls (ages 8-13) of color in South Los Angeles through conducting workshops that discuss and promote positive self-esteem, coping skills, academic wellness, etiquette, and life-skills. Participants will be equipped with social-emotional and developmental tools necessary to thrive in their everyday lives. The program was founded by Ebone Smith

This year’s theme was “Building A Brighter Future” in which I wanted to leave the girls with something that would truly inspire them to think positively about the trajectory of their lives while also giving them a tangible resource. When reflecting about how far I’ve come in my own journey and one of the key components that got me here, I quickly thought of journaling and the impact that it’s had on my life. 

I decided to gift each girl with her very own journal, specifically dedicated to write to the future that she would want to create. To help them better understand the assignment, I shared my own examples of how me journaling things like “I want to move to LA” or “I want to become a public speaker” allowed me to create that reality and be stand there in front of them that day. 

I encouraged the girls to dream big and think about what they want to accomplish in the future. Then, I walked them through the process of creating a plan of action to achieve those goals, including identifying resources and creating a timeline.

The girls were excited and quickly started writing, drawing and manifesting things that they want for their futures in their new blank canvases. They asked thoughtful questions and shared their own experiences and challenges. It was truly inspiring to see their passion and determination to succeed. “I want to be a chef in another country,” said one of the girls. 

Aside from our journaling workshop, the day was packed with self-empowerment and skill-building activities including meditation, making your own lip gloss, an introduction to hair braiding as well a create your own business workshop.  

In conclusion, speaking with the We Are R.I.S.E program was an incredibly rewarding experience in which i'm super thankful for the opportunity to share my years of knowledge and insights with young girls who are striving for greatness.