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Empowered Flower Girl’s 2022 Be the Impact Summit welcomed youth and adult participants from the US, Canada and the UK on Saturday, October 8. The virtual event showcased young changemakers and social entrepreneurs as well as provided resources for those aspiring to make a difference in their communities. 

The summit kicked off with a video presentation featuring the Generational Givers – youth enrolled in Take My Hand’s community outreach and volunteer program. 

Four young social entrepreneurs and nonprofit founders – from Washington and Texas to Georgia – shared their impact stories and offered tips to the audience on how to get started in service as well as how to find resources to support your endeavors. 

Rasheda Kamaria Williams, chief empowering officer for Empowered Flower Girl, hosted the event and facilitated the “Passion. Purpose. Profession” workshop and discussion which offered tips for youth to be strategic about their community service. Tia Russell, founder of Detroit-based nonprofit Take My Hand, joined the conversation highlighting her organization’s Generational Givers program. 

Participants also learned about the numerous funding, fellowship and recognition opportunities available through Youth Service America. Nikki Liles, YSA director of partnerships, shared information about programs like the Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes Grants and the Everyday Young Hero Awards. 

The event concluded with the Impact Ideas and She’s EmPOWERed alumni giveaways. Esha Aggarwal of Illinois and Cassidy Conley of Michigan were selected to each receive a $250 e-gift card. 

The 2022 Be the Impact Summit was sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. Empowered Flower Girl was one of three Detroit-area organizations/social enterprises to receive a Social Impact Grant from the Consulate in June. The event was produced by coordinating sponsor Foundation Management LLC. 

VIEW SUMMIT RECORDING:

https://youtu.be/rIL5FTzvLuM

From academics to athletics, Taylor Weston excels. She’s an honor and international baccalaureate student boasting a 4.0 g.p.a. and member of a history-making lacrosse team. 

And to top it all off, she’s actively involved in the community. 

Taylor, a senior at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Mich. (Rasheda Kamaria’s alma mater), has demonstrated herself to be a leader. A star lacrosse player and co-captain on one of the first girls lacrosse teams in Detroit, Taylor is making moves on and off the field. 

In addition to her academic and athletic endeavors, she is a member of the Co-Ette Club, an organization dedicated to promoting the values of sisterhood, volunteerism, leadership and philanthropy; a Congress of Future Medical Leaders scholar, and a third-year participant in the Doctors of Tomorrow program at the University of Michigan in preparation to pursue a healthcare career in college. 

“After undergrad, I will be going to med school to become a forensic pathologist,” Taylor said. “Outside of career and school, I want to continue to travel and visit the other countries on my bucket list.”

According to Taylor’s sister Janel Johnson, Taylor learned the importance of giving back to the community at an early age from family members. 

“Whether it is serving food at a homeless shelter or planting flowers at the local senior citizens home, Taylor’s mission is to be a global change maker,” Janel said. 

With Taylor’s dedication, discipline and desire to make a difference, we are certain she will go far. 

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It’s a proverb that has been recited for centuries. But for many people, words do hurt. And for others, words are motivation.  

Meet Brooklyn D. – a talented, artistic and unique 14-year-old girl with a kind spirit.  

Last month, a few girls at her school attempted to break her spirit by teasing her, writing “Brooklyn is wird (weird)” on the bathroom wall. Brooklyn was understandably upset. 

But she wasn’t defeated. She didn’t let those words break her. Instead, she worked with her aunt to create the ultimate clap back.  

Brooklyn embraced the moniker and decided that she’s “Wonderfully Weird.” 

With her aunt’s help, she launched the campaign and designed a special t-shirt in support and celebration of anyone who’s been bullied for being uniquely themselves.  

“I created the shirts to let people know to be themselves and be comfortable in their own skin,” said Brooklyn, creator of the Jr. Jetsetter travel blog. “We want to encourage them to be themselves and to not care what anybody says about them.” 

The Wonderfully Weird t-shirts are $25.00 and come in a variety of sizes (S-XL).  

For more information about the shirts or to follow Brooklyn’s journey and her travels, be sure to connect via Instagram at @myjrjetsetter or at www.jrjetsetter.com. 

At first glance, you can sense that there’s something special about Elayna Hasty. She’s confident, beautiful and poised. But you’d never know that once upon a time, the Miss Indiana hopeful and aspiring Miss America was teased and excluded as a kid.

“I was the new girl in school,” recalls Elayna, who is now 20 years old. “As soon as I walked into my homeroom, I was laughed at and mocked for something so simple as forgetting my gym shoes on the first day. That was only the beginning and it only got worse for me, as well as for one of my childhood friends.”

Elayna, like many young people, was bullied. But through it all, she learned many important lessons. Those lessons inspired her to create G.A.B. Girls (Girls Against Bullying).

She started the program in 2009 when she was only 9 years old. A decade later, she continues to run G.A.B. Girls, which is a movement that teaches people of all ages the importance of being a leader by standing up to bullying.

“We are a community of support as we encourage co-action, healthy self-esteem, and promote anti-bullying as well as suicide prevention,” Elayna said. “My motivation for founding G.A.B. Girls was to help my friend who was going through bullying and to empower others to stand up – not just for themselves – but others as well.”

In addition to running G.A.B. Girls, Elayna is a college student and reigning Miss Duneland 2022. The Miss Duneland competition is an official preliminary to the Miss America and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competitions.

Once she graduates with a bachelor’s degree, Elayna plans to attend law school. Her ultimate goal is to be a family attorney who works to help children who come from abusive households.

“I plan to continue G.A.B. Girls by furthering my reach nationally, as well as create more workshops tailored towards cyberbullying and suicide prevention,” she said.

Kudos to Elayna for using her platform to speak up and out against bullying. We wish her much success in her career and as she aims for the crowns!

Follow Elayna’s journey at:

Instagram: @g.a.b.girls
Facebook: G.A.B. Girls (Girls Against Bullying Girls)
Website: www.gabgirls.org