Life of a Fellow: Nia

Say hello to Nia - one of our newest Fellows at Kensington High School! Nia graduated from Shippensburg University in 2019 with a BA in English and Women’s & Gender Studies. Before graduating, she started her company “Chill Room Records.” Outside of 12+, she is a creative entrepreneur. Read on to see how Nia has been enjoying working with the students!

I remember the very first day of training, I could see everyone already mingling and immersing themselves into each other's energy before I even opened the door. It made me feel a sense of both comfortability and nervousness. It made me nervous because I am probably the most unexpected introvert anyone will ever meet, but I felt comfortable with the fact that it wouldn't be hard to socialize with anyone. 

The team at Kensington High School!

Training was a nice way to bond and become a part of the 12+ community. During that time, I was able to see how everyone was and get a feel for their personalities and preferences; I also hoped that they would discover mine as well. With that being said, it was not too hard to acclimate to the fellowship position once we found out where we were being placed.

Working with teenagers was already something that I had been accustomed to with my past work as a fellow in college and as a playstreets coordinator for the YMCA. It wasn't hard for me to begin the process of getting to know the students. Through those interactions, I recognized the greatest reward from doing this kind of work; helping others achieve their goals. 

I have had the opportunity to get acquainted with some of the smartest teenagers that I have ever met, aside from my younger siblings of course. I was told that there were a good amount of students at KHS that were interested in business and entrepreneurship, (aside from other types of hands-on trades) so I already had a sense that I would encounter those types of people.

What amazed me, however, was the initiative many of them had already taken towards making that happen for themselves. Some of these students are already operating their own businesses, others have established themselves as creative entrepreneurs. Those whose future endeavors are more based on academics have such a strong sense of what they would like to study and do with their careers. It made me very happy and proud to see young people taking their lives into their own hands, and helping some of them to discover their power and potential.

Working as a Fellow for 12+ has helped me to realize just how much this type of position is needed. I often think about what my experience would’ve been like with something like this at my high school. So many of these students are already thriving in a society that was not made for them to succeed on the same level as others. They are very aware of this, and as a result, often do not recognize or give themselves credit for their accomplishments. In this position, we are able to help them reflect on that and grow within themselves. I look forward to continuing this journey with these students. I am very excited for all of them to graduate and to continue following their desired path. There is no doubt in my mind that they are all destined for greatness.