How First Ladies Has Changed My Life
Coming into First Ladies, I did not fully grasp the magnitude of influence the organization would have on my life. My 7th grade self just had an open mind and open heart…I was eager to learn. After experiencing my first First Ladies meeting, I was like a sponge… ready to soak in all that Lady Dunstan had for us. But little did I know that I would be soaking in a wealth of knowledge and real-life experiences in nine pillars that would help shape who I am and where I am today.
The first pillar of First Ladies is purpose. I vividly remember the first time I was asked what my purpose was. I was sitting in the conference room at Memorial Middle School, rotating back and forth in my rolling-chair. Lady Dunstan stood at the front of the room and instructed us to write down what we believed our purposes were on earth. I loved that she asked the question as if we were not just young middle schoolers caught in the awkward liminal of being a kid or a teenager. My timid yet insightful 7th grade-self had a hard time answering that question. Even though I did not know the answer right then, it was the beginning of me not only seeking to discover my purpose, but intentionally striving to live it out.
Another pillar of First Ladies is leadership. My entire life, I have always been a leader by nature. I was the Safety Patrol captain at Peeks Chapel Elementary School and held other leadership positions in my classes and throughout the school. However, it was not until I started First Ladies where I realized that being a leader is who I am called to be, and I have full permission to unapologetically lead with confidence. I learned that my ideas have value, and they need to be heard. I learned that even though I was naturally soft-spoken, it did not mean my words had less power or that I was respected less as a result. First Ladies helped bring the leader out in me through valuable leadership training and experience that I still actively exercise today.
High school and college readiness is a pillar of First Ladies that I am so grateful for. In middle school, I was being prepared for high school. I learned what a GPA was and why that number is so important. I was taught to begin building my resume my freshman year. I learned the importance of time management and prioritizing, applying different techniques that I could begin practicing in middle school. I was taught how the decisions we would make in high school would bridge directly to college. Relating to college, some of my favorite memories in the organization were our college visits. It was amazing that as a middle school, I was able to talk to admissions directors, take college tours, and ask the current students questions. We had the privilege to get a “feel” for numerous colleges from large institutions such as the University of Georgia to smaller HBCUs such as Spelman College. That intimate exposure to college at such a young age made me work harder in high school because I knew the type of institution I wanted to attend: one that exuded excellence (which ironically, the slogan for the college I am attention is “The Standard of Excellence, An Education for Life”). Without learning the valuable lessons that I gained from our high school and college readiness experiences, I cannot say if I would have made every single decision during my time in high school as intentionally as I have.
The other pillars include mentorship, entrepreneurship, building strong families, sisterhood, civic engagement/social awareness, and etiquette. The seeds planted from these nine key focuses have transformed me into the young lady I am today.
Present day, I am a senior in high school. I have two youth ministries. I have served two years as the student coordinator of Teen Leadership Summit. I am the President of the Heritage High School Dance Academy. I am a Peer Leader at my school. I am a mentor to middle school students. I serve on the First Ladies Board of Directors. I am an active change agent in my community, and soon to be, globally. I have maintained a 3.9 GPA throughout my high school career. Lastly, I am proud to say that I will be attending Hampton University in the fall on academic scholarship, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Leadership Studies.
I could not talk about First Ladies without talking about how much the Founder and Executive Director or the organization, Lady Dunstan, has changed my life. Ever since I can remember, she has always called me and all my First Ladies sisters by who we are: leaders, young ladies, intelligent, priceless, royalty, influencers, world changers, global change agents, and most importantly, God’s daughters. This dramatically influenced my self-image to the point where even when the world called me negative and derogatory terms, I never forgot who I was and Who’s I was. Throughout middle school, and to this very day, Lady Dunstan still teaches me valuable life lessons anywhere from how to network at events to how to safely navigate throughout Atlanta. She has pushed me in the best ways possible and given me countless opportunities that I will be forever grateful for. My life has been changed eternally by this amazing organization and its amazing leader. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that because of First Ladies, I am trained and equipped to dominate and prosper in whatever God has planned for me in my life.