3 Ways to Build Resilience: A Message to C5 Georgia Youth Foundation's Seniors at the 2019 ActNOW Summit
This week, I had the opportunity to speak to rising seniors (congrats, Class of 2020!) of the C5 Georgia Youth Foundation. C5 is a 501(c)3 organization that targets high-risk students and offers holistic support from 7th-12th grades. Their website explains their mission best:
C5 Georgia offers a distinct approach to preparing students to lead meaningful, accomplished lives. A leadership program at its core, C5 Georgia's 5-year curriculum and emphasis on community volunteerism provides a long-term, multi-faceted approach to developing the new opportunities and make beneficial contributions to society. For the students we select, we offer an unparalleled opportunity to learn and prepare for the future. We depend on our partners in the community to nominate deserving youth who are prepared for C5.
C5 Georgia is designed to keep students with promise on track. Not all youth are ready to succeed in an intensive and demanding 5-year program, but for the motivated, high-performing young person, we offer opportunities to build a vision for the future and to develop the skills needed to turn that vision into a reality.
We recognize that youth from under resourced communities often fail to achieve their potential. They can't envision a positive future because they receive limited support, few opportunities, and inadequate direction at critical points in their lives. C5 provides a support network and enriching experience that prepare the young people in the program for success in school, work, and life.
At this year’s ActNow Summit (hosted at Emory University), I had the opportunity to speak to a dynamic group of seniors about how to build resilience and finish strong—in high school, in college, and beyond.
“Student resilience is key to holistic well-being,” NASPA, 2015.
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (a governing body that endorses 13,000 member schools) concluded after a recent study that, in terms of positive mental health, comprehensive physical health and endurance, leadership opportunities, campus involvement, and academic success, student resilience is fundamental to overall excellence. Because of this, I focused on this topic when I spoke to the Class of 2020 at C5’s annual summit ActNow.
One of the most exciting parts of my job allows me to track each of our WLG students in the schools that we place them in! This is true for colleges, as well, as it has been so thrilling to see where our graduates end up and how they’re executing their passions. I’m able to see both perspectives when I check in with first-year deans and freshmen counselors who are actually on campus—what a fascinating snapshot into the college experience!
During our time together at Emory earlier this week, I unpacked 4 ways to build resilience—when it comes to finishing strong senior year (and tackling that all-too-real “senioritis”), as a freshman in college, and beyond into the workforce.
Connection Does Not Always Equal Community
For the sake of being on the same page, we took to Webster to define resilience as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.” We recognized that building resilience now is crucial because students will always need it later. We discovered that success can very nearly be whittled down to a concise formula—the rate at which we bounce back is often determined by our level of resilience. One of my favorites quotes from Winston Churchill maintains that “success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” To me, that thought perfectly embodies this ideal of resilience—not becoming discouraged, personally offended, or wrecked by failures inside or outside of our control.
2. We Are Better When We Are Not Alone
One of my favorite African proverbs sums this idea up well—”If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” When it comes to finishing senior year strong, keeping up with responsibilities and commitments, surrounding yourself with trusted friends and advisors and leaning into your personal network can be paramount for success—in and out of the classroom. We brainstormed ways to turn each and every connection into genuine community.
3. Leverage Your Story
When it comes to adversities in life, which are the ones that you need to show up for? Where do you need to dig in, be present, and work hard to cross the finish line? In that same vein, have you ever stopped—on the other side of an obstacle or problem—and really processed what happened? I listened to a recent episode on the Love or Work podcast and guest contributors Billy and Joy Phenix unpacked the power of truly feeling the emotions surrounding a particular problem or situation. Feel it, lean into it, so you can recognize it when that emotion arises again at the next obstacle.
After you tackle that obstacle—whether you’re tunneling under it or catapulting over it—how can you turn back around and help someone else who may be coming up the ranks? It may be an encouraging message or merely sitting next to them and affirming C.S. Lewis’ definition of friendship: “Me, too.” Post-traumatic growth occurs when we find greater meaning in our suffering. In fact, suffering ceases to stay stagnant and affixed to that label when it finds a meaning that’s larger than ourselves. What part of your story can be comforting to others?
Such a gift to spend time with C5, an incredible organization who is committed to leveraging their resources and talents for the betterment of the next generation. Good luck, Class of 2020!