Some organizations exist simply to fill a gap. And then there are the rare ones, the ones born from…read morea person's very soul, that exist to change lives. The Power of You Teens is unquestionably the latter.
I have had the extraordinary privilege of knowing Felicia Gibson-Jaycox, the founder of this incredible organization, for over 25 years. Long before The Power of You Teens had a name, a mission statement, or a single program, I knew who Felicia was at her core: a woman with a heart for service, a gift for lifting others, and a vision for what was possible. I was there at her very first Empowerment Experience, watching something beautiful take root. To see what has grown from that seed is nothing short of miraculous.
Felicia has always been a phenomenal human being, stunning inside and out, radiant in spirit, and relentless in her desire to give back. She left the world of television not because she lost her passion, but because she found a bigger one. And the girls who walk through the doors of The Power of You Teens are the living proof of what happens when purpose meets action.
Now, more than two decades later, I am no longer just a witness to her mission. I am a grateful mother who enrolled her 11-year-old daughter in it. And I want to be clear: we travel from Long Island to attend these events. Every single time, it is worth every mile.
My daughter and I have had the joy of attending multiple events, and each one has left a mark on both of our hearts.
At the UNSTOPPABLE Vision Board Experience, hosted by the dynamic Déjà Vu, my daughter was completely in her element. The energy in that room was electric. Girls dreaming out loud, mapping their futures, being surrounded by powerful women who looked like them and who poured into them without reservation. My daughter didn't just make a vision board that day. She began to see herself differently. That is not a small thing. That is everything.
At the Love Starts With Me Valentine's Day Self-Love Experience, the atmosphere was equally transformative: warm, joyful, affirming, and alive. Girls laughing. Girls connecting. Girls being seen, celebrated, and reminded of their worth. My daughter came home standing a little taller and speaking a little bolder. And I sat in that space as a mom feeling something I didn't even know I had been searching for: community.
Here is something I carry with me as a mother. My daughter doesn't always see girls who look like her where we live. That matters more than people sometimes understand. Walking into a room full of beautiful Black and brown girls, girls who share her experiences, her heritage, her brilliance, watching her face open up with recognition and belonging is a gift I cannot put a price on. The Power of You Teens gives her that, every single time.
This organization is doing the sacred, essential work of ensuring that girls of color are seen, supported, and prepared, not just to survive, but to thrive. To be confident, college bound, and career ready. To be the leaders this world is waiting for.
If you have a daughter, a niece, a mentee, a neighbor's child, any girl between the ages of 11 and 18, please do not wait. Get her connected to The Power of You Teens. You will not regret it. She will not forget it.
Felicia, thank you for saying yes to your calling all those years ago. Thank you for building something that would one day hold my daughter. What you have created is extraordinary, and we are so honored to be part of the Power Girls family.
thepowerofyouteens.org
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