Beyond The Classroom: Empowering Black Youth with Kehia McKinney

In this episode, I sit down with Kehia McKinney, founder of AAA Motivated, to unfold her inspiring journey and the impact of education on empowering Black youth. Kehia, armed with her expertise in financial systems and her role as a nurturing mother, shares her unyielding dedication to fostering success and vision amidst life's hurdles. We discuss the significance of cultivating young leaders with authenticity and financial acumen to skillfully navigate life's intricate challenges. Mentorship's crucial role in developing individuals who make bold, purposeful decisions is emphasized, as well as the methods for promoting financial literacy within families and communities. Our conversation extends to how community engagement and genuine leadership can revolutionize educational advocacy for Black students encountering unique obstacles. Highlighting efforts like the Black Family Literacy Campaign and the celebration of Black Student Success Week, this episode underlines the strength of community bonds and the pivotal influence of youth in driving transformative change, all through the lens of Kehia McKinney’s dedication to building a brighter future for the next generation.


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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:25

Welcome to the Money Focus Podcast. I'm your host, moses, the mentor. In this episode, I have the pleasure of being joined by Kia McKinney, who's the founder and CEO of AAA Motivated, which is a platform dedicated to educational consulting and empowering black youth. To educational consulting and empowering Black youth. She is on a mission to amplify youth voices and force to successful life outcomes. Kia is passionate and she's here to share her insights on leadership, community engagement and then the pivotal role that financial literacy has in shaping the future of our youth. So let's dive into this enriching conversation. All right, thank you, kia, for joining the Money Focus podcast. I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to come talk to me and to the audience, and I always like to start the show with giving my guests an opportunity to talk about their career journey and, ultimately, what led them to start their business. So the floor is yours.

Speaker 2: 1:27

I first say thank you and blessings on blessings for having me my career journey. Like, how did I get here? I was just reading something I wrote in 2002. And, mind you, in 2002, I had a one-year-old. And when I read it today now they say if you want to manifest something, write it down. And I read it again today and that's not the first time I read it I realized like I've been working on this mission here for like 23 years and I'm just living out what it is God showed me a long time ago. So first, my mom. That's number one for me for career journey, because what I've done is be able to take that love that I have as a mom and marry it to Black student success.

Speaker 2: 2:14

So when I first started my career as a young person, I did a lot of finance stuff, so I understood systems, and then I wanted to work close to home. That's how I got to work inside of the school. So I used to work at a high school and I was with the experts every day. Well, being the only Black lady, it happens a lot at schools. Okay, there was a student who tapped me and said hey, miss A, that's what they used to call me Would you be our BSU advisor? And BSU is a Black student union. I did not say yes and I didn't say no, but I didn't move my feet to do anything.

Speaker 2: 2:50

But that summer I went to the principal and I was like, hey, you know, I think I'd like to. She said, oh, we've been waiting for you, and that was, I think, 2014. And I just took that thing in my heart. God put everything in place and I just took that thing in my heart. God put everything in place.

Speaker 2: 3:07

Pandemic came, we're inside the schools, but this is the thing that I just could not let go Black student success wraparound services for parents. And I said, well, how do I take this thing that I love and turn it into a business? And so I just started researching some things. I knew I had it. I knew I had it in me because God had already given it to me, and so I just follow what God said do. And he has placed every person, every resource in my path so that I might help light up a light for young people and the families in my community. That's what I do every day. So I do it with my clients on my educational consulting business side, and then I do it also with my own youth program, black student success every day, everywhere, both committed to it unapologetically and that's kind of how I got here Right. This is a volunteered in schools that I worked at a school and it was my thing.

Speaker 1: 4:00

So that was you said 2014 when you started that. So that was you said 2014 when you started that 2014. When did it shift from the volunteer lane to the business I'm around? What time was that? Did you say the pandemic, or was it before the pandemic?

Speaker 2: 4:19

It was during the pandemic, so in 2021, I think it was around May I've been working on some things and I went down, filed some paperwork to get a business. You know, thinking I knew how to start a business. So, you know, this is still new for me, but it was let's take this platform and figure out how to turn it into an enterprise also at the same time, so that this thing can be self-fulfilling Right. And so 2014, like hey, I got this thing, I got the goods. But then 2021, when I really like, just bet on myself.

Speaker 1: 4:54

Yeah, that's important. What were some of the initial challenges that you had when you that 2021 timeframe where you said, hey, I'm a better myself and start my business? What are, what was, some of the initial challenges?

Speaker 2: 5:10

The initial challenge, I will say, and the biggest challenge for myself and then actually I teach young people right is that I'm not imposter syndrome, but like comparing yourself, not staying in my lane about doing what I said knew how to do what I knew how to do, learning more about it and looking at what other people were doing and starting to build that into what are really the depths of my business, right. So consulting and youth leadership development. I started looking all around and so that slowed me down a lot. That slowed me down a lot. Comp slowed me down a lot, comparing versus just what God gave me.

Speaker 2: 5:49

And then the other thing was that I have a wonderful resource network right here in my city, like where I live, right, but really getting into all the spaces that I needed to be into to learn more that was the first thing. I just needed to learn more, right, because when you work with schools programs they look at data and I've always looked at data, but I needed to get with those folks that could help me bend the arc of time with that learning curve and so taking some time to get some mentors. I had people that meant really good for me. I know they did, but they were just not the right fit to be mentors and I think anything, any business right. Get mentors somebody that has been there where you want to go. Those are probably my biggest challenges.

Speaker 1: 6:39

For your mentors because again, hence my name Moses the mentor. You know those, those mentors. Were they easy on you or were they tough on you? Because I always subscribe to the mentors that's going to give it to you straight and really help you by challenging you. You know when your mentor is always, you know, having nice, cozy conversations with you. That's really not the time when you're growing. So I'm just curious to know, like what was some of the characteristics of the mentors that you had?

Speaker 2: 7:14

And I totally hear that. And so we've been through a couple of people Right, and I don't like this to be the key of show, because if it's the key of show, I'm not growing. And so one mentor that I have actually just came into my life let's see, this is March is going to be one year, and what I love to say when this happens and I appreciate it it's like, girl, you pulled my wig cap back right To help me look at some things that I needed to be doing right. So one area of growth which I'm just so thankful for and this is something as like a new business person, especially if you work some whole right Is calendaring your time really is setting yourself up for success. And so here I was teaching young people during I did these fellowship workshops and things like that, and I'd say schedule your success. I realized that when I set a calendar, this is one of the things my mentor was like we're not having another meeting, go, set your calendar and when you get that done, then we can talk right.

Speaker 2: 8:15

But it is both moments of just keep it real with me, because I'm like this if you don't, I'm not gonna get better and I know tomorrow I'm not going to be 100% better, but I'll be 1%, and that's what I strive for every day. And so the people around me. They have a saying but basically is that you're going to get it straight for me, because that's the way I want it for me all the time, and that has just been tremendous, tremendous, because I have enough people that like me right, because I like people, I like the human condition, but somebody that can give it to me straight is super important. And for me, moses, you have to understand I don't have any parents on the earth and my mom used to give it to me straight. She was a boss, and so I appreciate that. Not wrong with that At all.

Speaker 1: 9:03

Well, what would you say? Like, like you know, with your company and its mission, how does it align to your, your, the observations that you've had in your life, like, how does it resonate with you the mission of your company and what, ultimately, you've experienced in your own life?

Speaker 2: 9:45

so my mission is to develop young leaders, right, if that's on the educational side, if that's on the program side, the youth program side. I want to develop young leaders so that their voice is empowered, to amplify, but it's authentic, so they can stand up in those spaces, those spaces that are tough in their life, no matter if that's in your boardroom, in your classroom, with your relationship. I was taught that, I was taught that, and so I kind of works as a double-edged sword in a way, but you just have to know how to use a sword, that's it, right. So when you walk into a room, confident because you know what you know, you're there to listen, right, what you know, what you know. You don't have to say a lot of things. Listen, right, because when you speak, people are going to listen.

Speaker 2: 10:30

Now, that intimidates some people, I get it, but I say I'm not intimidating, you're intimidated and I cannot do anything about that. But what I do know is that there's a right time to speak up. And as a young person, right just in my life's journey, I was raised in a church, so we had the usher board and all these adults that just kind of helped us develop leadership, and so it's what I've always just known. So really, what I'm doing now is just giving back what was given to me, but in particular for Black students. People here that know me will tell you, they'll quote me Keah McKinney does not care if you're Black, white, brown, right, but I get to choose and all of us get to choose. That's what we forget. We get to choose. I've chosen that Black Student Success is my practitioner concentration because I came from finance. I mean, you know, I'm a black male, I'm originally from Brooklyn, new York.

Speaker 1: 11:30

You know, financial education just really is not at the forefront of our community. It just isn't. You know, and I don't want my people to survive, I want my people to thrive, I want my people to have options with their money and understand the power of their dollar. So bringing people on like yourself and my other guests is really to spotlight you guys and give you a platform, but, at the same time, educate the listeners so that they can, you know, just soak up a ounce of new information before they go and waste their money. You know, so that's the goal. So I love your mission. It sounds like you have people that help guide you along the way, and now you're giving back, so that's perfect. Kudos to you.

Speaker 2: 12:25

I appreciate that and something that you just said here is is super key. Right To part of making the mission work is because I can empower young people with the voice. They know how to bend the heart. Right At the end of the day, I'm like we win. But whatever path you choose and I tell the other people I'm talking about the path you choose choose it boldly. Right In the society that we live in. Right, we use money and it is something that young people and families are not talking about. They're not talking about. We had a think-take last year and my legacy group, right of cohorts they're like in their 20s and they're talking with the high schoolers. They're talking about taxes and life insurance and not knowing how to fill out a w-9 and all types of things that we're like. We're missing those connections in your overall.

Speaker 1: 13:16

How important is financial literacy Like sound like it is, but is some specifics that you can talk to about how you actually help with that? I?

Speaker 2: 13:27

do leadership development. That's my wheelhouse, right, and so then I lean into the experts and ask them to come to do a workshop here. Oh, there's a workshop there that I need to send my students somewhere, right, because with financial literacy, just like the whole, right, I work with high schoolers in particular a lot, and so learning about the fastball and loans and all of that is so scary. So I am always like this Okay, that workshop was going to be at the, wherever it is, if it's the school, if it's the Delta's giving the workshop, and I'm like here, right, because I'm like this, with the young people, anybody that works with young people, families, you know, and you can lead them to the water we all drink. I did my part, right, but that is super key, because here's the thing that kids want to know.

Speaker 2: 14:23

One. The first thing is this how do I go get the money? That's what kids want to know, right, but plugging them in with other resources. I've got to plug them in with folks like you or folks that are right here in my backyard. That will show them once you've got the money now. Here like you, folks that are right here in my backyard, but we'll show them once you've got the money Now here are some things you can do with the money. To one, keep the money, multiply the money and make sure it's there for generational wealth. That's the winning solution for me the generational wealth piece.

Speaker 1: 14:52

Yeah, I mean basics. You noted a moment ago about FAFSA. So obviously, student loans, you know understanding that, because you know we need to make sure that. You know students are making informed decisions about their education and it, you know, sometimes it's you know it means that you may not go to a four year school out the gate. Maybe you need to go to a community college at first and get some of your core classes out the way. If cost is an issue, maybe you need to reach out.

Speaker 1: 15:24

I had a guest on her name is Renee Wiley, who specializes in applying for scholarships and she had a story that was like she won so many scholarships by default because people weren't even applying for it. It's like so there's so much information that needs to be had and we just don't need to just roll into our post-secondary education and just like be dumbfounded instead of being informed. So it's a critical age where you are at that point and we just need to help them out as much as possible, for sure. So let's talk about leadership as your specialty, right, and I value that. So you know, when you are talking to your students, your Black students in particular, how do you ensure that they come across as authentic and with their leadership presence, as opposed to being kind of like just molded, like hey, I'm going to be Kia, you know, but my form like what? How do you ensure that they're being an authentic leader, but maybe taking some of the principles that you teach? What are some tactics that you use?

Speaker 2: 16:32

I love that question. I love that question With young people, old people. I first started with this and I'm really serious about it. I know people think I can be, maybe you know. The truth is I tell them I can never be a you on my best day and you can never be a he and the king on your best day, right? And so I really believe, meet all people, but meet young people where they're in right, or show them that you're vulnerable, right.

Speaker 2: 16:58

My voice, just who I am authentically, it's always told people I'm empowering and amplifying the youth voice. And they told me, my mentor told me oh, you know, you should change this and that. And I kind of went with it. But I realized that's the same thing that had been done to me by some folks long time ago. Right, I will not perpetrate that again on my young people. And so when we're in workshops, you are always going to see that you might see Kia up there talking, but we are modeling in a sense of okay, now I'm going to sit down and you give me some feedback about what you heard, right? So we just did something with the middle schoolers the other day, in the sense of I always want their voice to lead. Their voice leads the discussion. I can come into any room, they don't care who I am. That part you got to realize young people.

Speaker 1: 17:49

They don't care who you are.

Speaker 2: 17:51

They want to know, first of all, what can you do for them, right? So just hit them with the headliner, don't waste their time, right, and then allow them to speak and then listen. I do that with my young people at the school. The other day I went there for one reason, spent the rest of the lunchtime and I'm listening because they had something to say. And the more you're around young people, I just I got quite a few other things to do, but the more you're around young people and you're listening to them, they respect that.

Speaker 2: 18:19

And then, when you do have something to say in regards to here are some tools that I learned that may or may not be for you they are so much more apt to take them and run with them. Because I'm like this do what you're going to do with it, baby, because you can do that thing better than I can do that thing any day. They can reach it to some spaces. I can't. And I'm like this. I know I'm not for everybody and everybody's not for me, and so, accepting that about myself, I try to give that to other people, especially young people that are trying to find themselves. Whatever that is, bring you, baby, then I'm good with that. Knowing that, hey, I'm accepted just for who I am, they can just relax and then that's when they begin to open up. Language evolves, advocacy, all of that comes out of there. Just allowing young people to speak and like listen and don't listen. To just respond but like, take that in. And it's okay to say like people and don't say nothing else.

Speaker 1: 19:22

So what are some like some real world challenges that your, your students, face?

Speaker 2: 19:29

So top of the list. Right, cause I'm interacting with black students in particular. My middle school is about half brown and black. Every space and I into every single space there's this hard space around how these students are being treated at school, what's happening and what's not happening, from other students to teachers, to administrators, right, and a lot of it comes around racial epithets, slurs, things like that. They don't have the space to unpack this, they don't even have the language to unpack this, and so then what happens? They're angry, right, when you're angry. Okay, so then the barriers are. Already.

Speaker 2: 20:13

We are sitting at disproportionate numbers of suspensions and expulsions for Black students I'm talking here in the state of California, right, or barrier already. So that means, now you have this anti-blackness happening on your campuses, where you are for most of the day, your response is going to put you back into that category. Right, when you get they call it assertive discipline. When you receive assertive discipline, you are missing out on class time. So if you're missing out on class time, it's just that domino effect of now, right, I'm not reaching standards, I'm not in class so that I can maybe take an advanced class. These are all barriers to success, right, at the end of the day for me is I want students. This is an initiative in the state of California so I'm just like tapping into it but I want my students to graduate from high school with diplomas, degrees and LLCs, and one of those roles is dual enrollment, and I know that's a contested issue in our community.

Speaker 2: 21:15

There's data and everybody has an opinion. Well, I have my opinion. My opinion is, when my students come out of eighth grade and we do a whole right to pass a job matriculation, that those students are cohorted and but they are supported Right. That's the thing you've got to put in the supports. So barriers are right. First gen students having the resources to know that again, all those things that are going to bend the arc of time for you.

Speaker 2: 21:44

Because here's what happens is that education equity ties directly to lifelong outcomes and equity and equity in like health care Right. Economic stability, housing, all of those things there's a direct correlation. Those are the barriers Right. Economic stability, housing, all of those things there's a direct correlation. Those are the barriers Right. So learn education. That's one of the things about being in this kind of coalition of other people here in San Joaquin County that are doing this work. We've got students that are focused on policy and environmental justice, things like that. So all of our students plugging in together here in the county, which is super awesome I'm like that's big, that's big coalition building, especially inside of the black community, so that they get all the resources because we're changing the narrative. That's the work I'm really doing is giving me the tools to change the narrative.

Speaker 1: 22:35

We need those barriers moved. So I appreciate your work, but you know again, when you're doing an initiative like this, what has been the community involvement for you Like. Have you been getting support to help you propel the program forward?

Speaker 2: 22:50

I'm smiling because every day, the deeper I go into this thing, I see that God has put everything in place Right. And so when you work inside of community, everything that you need is there. It's just the experts are just everywhere. And because I'm unapologetic about it, when I walk around in this town, people know I'm leading with and, like I said, I don't feel any way about it I'm leading with black. I'm leading with and, like I said, I don't feel any way about it. I'm leading with black. And so because people know that I know which ones want to deal with me and which ones don't, it's okay with me, right that I got a mission that I'm on, and so one of the ways that I've been able to get support right for the programming, the workshops, it's just one the mission that we sit on what we're doing with young people. People want to be a part of that mission that we sit on what we're doing with young people. People want to be a part of that. Right, black, white, brown, yellow, purple, black and stripe. So that's just. We got the sauce there. But then what we've done I love it is in our youth program so you can sign up to be a part of the cohort as a young person grades six through 12. But you're not an official member until someone in your familial unit right, and if you're fostered and there's a foster caseworker that signs up with you, has to be a part of all new being in the youth program because we need to wrap around services.

Speaker 2: 24:10

I can't help students if I'm not helping their families. I'm doing them an injustice. So, yes, there's been a wonderful support, not just here in the city but in the county and as we just kind of gain momentum around the work that we're doing, starting to see some movement around funding, because to do the program you've got to have some funding until you get right. It's happened to folks like you and some other entrepreneurs that know how to help us get that stream of income coming that self-sustains the nonprofit, because we have to be self-sufficient. Funding dollars come and funding dollars go. How do we become self-sufficient for ourselves? So we can do this as a community because we have experts and so I stay open. I stay open to folks wanting to lean in, because as you lean in, I have to lean in Right, and so whatever God has given me for this path, I'll lean for it.

Speaker 1: 25:56

When it comes to equitable and inclusive environments. What barriers still exist in your opinion and what have you done to potentially overcome them? Or is it just you know? Too big of a task for one person?

Speaker 2: 26:12

So this is my mantra Do what you can when you can, where you can, right Inside of your sphere of influence. Because if you look at this whole picture here we're talking about centuries ago we're talking right. It will swallow you up and you won't move right. So do what you can when you can, where you can. How do we make sure we're providing equity? Follow the money with the school, follow the money, and so thus I sit on the school site council.

Speaker 2: 26:45

I have, since I don't know when, I've just been that kind of parent right, because I want to have a voice in the room to determine where the money goes. They say, if you're not at the table, you're on the menu, and so that is one of the things that I advocate with my parents or my guardians that have students in the cohort is sit on a school site council. That's immediate right. You can go to school board meetings that's in our brochure but start at your school where your student is, at how the money is being funded. You bring in the ideas of what programs should come in. So if you know of a program like mine, bring it to the school site council. If it's not mine and it's my brothers and my sisters, bring it in. If it's my brothers and my sisters, bring it in.

Speaker 2: 27:31

If it's about doing the work, right, there's strength in numbers. That's just a tactic. We know works and so you know something that works. Put your foot on the gas and do that thing. I get that. I make people uncomfortable sometimes, but that's okay, right, uncomfortable, uncomfortable. But it makes you move to a place of saying you know what, let's provide this for our students. I learned something just the other day moses hadn't. But it makes you move to a place of saying you know what? Let's provide this for our students. I learned of something just the other day. Moses hadn't heard about it. Mind you, my son is 22 years old. I've been in the same district. Okay, so for Black Student Success Week, I'm writing all this stuff about a Black family literacy campaign, talking to somebody in the district that's helping me, and they go. Oh well, you know, we have this program that we pay for. Let's go. What program is it? You want to know the name of the program?

Speaker 1: 28:17

Yeah, let us know.

Speaker 2: 28:19

It's called the Latino Literacy Family Project. Wonderful, wonderfully written, beautiful. I mean. They have literature that goes along with it. There's a 10 week course that goes along with it and I'm like, yeah, this is what I just wrote up, but it's not yeah. So they have. They paid for Latino family literacy campaign. We can bring to our community a Black family literacy campaign, and so the reading and writing comes with it. The financial literacy comes with it.

Speaker 2: 28:52

Important to me is wellness, right, so we'll tie that underneath the literacy campaign. It's just you might have to go inspect what you expect. So bringing equity is saying, okay, I'm not making you feel uncomfortable because I'm telling you that you shouldn't have this Latino literacy project, you absolutely should. Okay, I'm not making you feel uncomfortable because I'm telling you that you shouldn't have this Latino literacy project. You absolutely should. Where I live, you absolutely should. And at the same time, it can exist with the Black Family Literacy Campaign. And here's how we do it as a community, because I am serious about this, that as a people we must work in communities. That philosophy of Ubuntu I am, because you are. That's why we exist right together. So that means I need to plug into you. This is the piece where I can plug in. Am I a literacy expert on reading literacy? No, but go get the experts and bring them to the table and they are ready to knock it out the box for young people.

Speaker 1: 29:49

You brought up Black Student Success Week, so tell the audience what exactly that is and what are your expectations from this event.

Speaker 2: 30:00

You just went to my whole heart Black Student Success Week April 21st through the 27th. So I'm just going to put that one out there before I get, because before I get into it, I always have to give credit where credit is due. I want to thank the California Community Colleges. They have a coalition and they have this construct called Black Student Success Week. So I did not make up the term Black Student Success Week. I always think people to know that and check out CA Black Students, but what the California Community Colleges they set up was this week I found out about in 2021 when I started my business, right, someone told me about it and I'm on this virtual call of like 700 Black people with letters in front of their names no letters in front of their names, and they said a lot of things during the week, but this is what I heard what can you do? What will you do inside of your sphere of influence to impact successful outcomes for Black students?

Speaker 2: 31:00

I took that and I ran. I said high school is my wheelhouse, 2014,. Right? So I'm like, let me get busy right now with what I can do. And so what happens now is that here in my town, we have developed.

Speaker 2: 31:16

And when I say we, this is that collective pulling in other youth groups, parents, advisors, folks from the school community, members, leaders plugging in to provide a week-long program, right, that focuses on diplomas, degrees and LLCs. That's our theme. Right, because that's the end game, but it's guided by the youth voice. How do you want to get there? Because, like I said earlier, I don't care what path you take, baby. I mean, I care, but it doesn't matter to me because I don't get to live your life and you don't get to live mine. But I want you to go bold in that pathway. And so what we do is start the week with resource networking, because I talked earlier the talk about bending the arc of time, right, so that means we got to put people together. So for me, black people, we blow pipelines of Black student success, we resource network, and so we kick off the week with a resource networking reception and then we just kind of move through the week. Each day we have a young Black think tank that will happen during the week. That's where our alumni we call them Legacy, no-transcript. So that's that youth voice leading. Again, there's so much. I know people can go to the website, but there's so much.

Speaker 2: 32:57

One of the greatest things I love that we're doing is we showcase to the community on the 27th. It's a culmination event. It's been here for years, we just nobody picked it up. So I picked it up and it was what I could do, right, and we have an eighth grade black student recognition celebration. Anybody in the community can recognize these students right, because I'm like this is where people don't get so happy. I'm just telling you about other people's data. Our school districts recognize our black kids. Yes, they do, but the numbers are in not a place that I would choose them to be.

Speaker 2: 33:33

So what we're doing right, we're transforming the narrative. We write the narrative. We have to pick up the power of the pen right, and so the power of the pen now belongs to parents, guardians. If you're a program director, if you're a pastor, if you you know this is your neighbor, you can find something positive. We got like seven categories. You can nominate these young people in right to nominate them. Last year we were able to give out a book award, so I asked people to support, because that's how the students get the book award and this is somebody that's nominating the top of their category. Well, that's my label vlog. And so Black Student Success Week is just that pouring out into community where we. You got something that you know how to do. Read it to the young people. Stop making it hard for them.

Speaker 1: 34:19

Yeah, throw them a ball. You know, share your knowledge. I always say, you know, learn, grow and pay it forward. So don't don't try to. You know, hold on to this knowledge that you have. That helps you. You know, share with people. You know, especially young people for sure.

Speaker 2: 34:36

That's the formula, that's the winning formula.

Speaker 1: 34:38

Yeah, I know you touched on it lightly, but you know how can, how can the listeners truly support AAA, motivated Like how, how can someone come and tap into you, the program, help the kids, what, what, what do you actually need?

Speaker 2: 34:54

I love that. You asked that. Right. So one of the, I think, with any small business. Right, we're going to talk about funding. Hard to say it.

Speaker 2: 35:03

People say what do you need? We need people to donate funding. Hard to say it. People say what do you need? We need people to donate. We need people to donate their.

Speaker 2: 35:09

Here we go though time, talent and treasure. Right, because I want people to come authentically. How they can come at a turn away, when this is your heart of love, right, whatever you've been blessed with, that's what I'm asking you to pour into. Right, so for us to make Black Students Success Week a splash even greater than it was last year. Right, we give scholarships. Right, we give things away to the students, provide services, and that takes money. Right. So if it's a personal donation, if it's something from your corporation, if it's a group of family members of church there's a link on the website right. So we need donations to our youth program. We're a fiscally sponsored program. Project San Copeland, like this, is their coalition building, right, so that's just all of talk If you live locally. Right, we need hands. We need hands because we need hands.

Speaker 2: 36:03

Black Student Success Week. But we need experts. I'm I tell people I love a big brain. So if you are an expert, or near or far, on the assets, you reach out to me. You know whatever your expertise is in here, because you see there's somebody that can learn from your. You already been there. Can you come break bread and give game lace these kids up right, and not just the kids but their families. So time, talent, treasure, right, and treasure is catching the vision, speaking it out to somebody else, right? So that might be as easy as sharing a story, sharing a reel. I just put something out today, right, and I had some different people just share it. It was a click of a button.

Speaker 1: 36:53

Right, it's easy.

Speaker 2: 36:55

Do what you can, when you can, where you can, and that's really the support that we need for our youth program to move forward and I know you're in California, we're, we're exactly in California for the audience, so they can.

Speaker 1: 37:11

They can know you mentioned local support, so where are you actually located?

Speaker 2: 37:15

We are in Tracy, california, which is a part of South County and San Joaquin County. So Central Valley is pretty big in northern California and you got Southern California down here and in the middle. In the middle is called Central Valley is pretty big, you got Northern California, then you got Southern California down here and in the middle is called Central Valley and Tracy is a happenstance from the Bay Area, so a lot of people know the. We call it the Oakland Bay Area, some people call it the San Francisco Bay Area.

Speaker 1: 37:40

It's about an hour east of there.

Speaker 2: 37:43

And then about an hour south of the Capitol. It's about an hour east of there and then about an hour south of the capital. So we're really the location here is just awesome Right, because at some point this would be the middle of that whole metropolitan beltway that connects northern and southern California in the right spot. We got the right young people and they are moving forward.

Speaker 1: 38:04

Nice. So what, what final thoughts or advice do you have for the audience? And then also, let us know how we can reach you. You know, give us your social media, shout out your website again, talk a little bit. It closes out also just confirming those dates for Black Student Success Week, and the floor is yours, so you know, closes out. My first, those dates for Black Student Success Week, and the floor is yours, so you know, closes out.

Speaker 2: 38:28

My first thing is thank you. Amplifying my mission, my heart, I just I thank you. That's how we win, and so I want you to know, like, just as you've done for me, that comes back. That doesn't just stay in one place, right? This is how we grow, so I thank you for that.

Speaker 2: 38:46

The one piece of advice for anybody that picks this up no matter if you're a student, no matter if you are a mom, if you're an entrepreneur, if you're somebody trying to figure out what is my gift right, it is. I tell people my, my secret is simple pray. And I have a little quote in my house that says that. And my prayer is that God will give me strength in my body to do what I can when I can, where I can, while I can and that looks different for everyone. I know what it looks like for me. I've been on this road, this particular AAA motivated road, 24 years. I'm looking at like when I wrote it. So, yes, does it take time? And if you have the time, if God gives you the time, you're blessed. But every day, know that you can. You can, inside of your sphere of influence, do what you can, no matter where you're going to put that overlap.

Speaker 2: 39:44

I've chosen Black Student Success to be that, and so I join anybody that's listening to join the movement, right, and so everything will find me at AAA Motivated 3As Motivated. That's on Instagram, that's on my Facebook group. That's my website, actually just to engage. You know I love to cross posts. You come to my page. You'll be like what is this page doing? I cross posts because I want people to get good information. You see what I'm saying. I got a branded website I'm not worried about my stuff does not show up more than yours because I want us to win, and so AAA Motivated is everywhere, us to win, and so AAA Motivated is everywhere. We just launched on the website all of the good stuff for diplomas, degrees and LLCs during Black Student Success Week, april 21st through the 27th.

Speaker 2: 40:35

We are looking forward to people joining us in person here in Tracy, california. But we have so many virtual components that we got to stay up to date to know everything that's going to happen. But we have some great virtual components for people to plug in. I am super excited, I am super blessed to be doing this work. When I go from here, I tell people this and they go okay, it's morbid? No, it's not morbid. I just want to say, when tomorrow doesn't come, okay, mckinney, you can stand up and say she was sold out, like she did this thing every single day. And as long as God gives me breath in my body, this is where I'll be, and so I just thank you and I bless you for allowing me to pour out love.

Speaker 1: 41:13

No problem, thank you so much and I'm going to include all that information in the episode show notes so for everybody that's listening, please take a look. Check out AAA Motivated across all platforms. It's a great mission. And again, kia, thank you so much. We out. So thanks again, kia, for joining the show. I'm sure the audience felt your passion and, ultimately, your dedication to empowering the youth and advocating for financial literacy is something that I definitely truly admire about you and, to my listeners, I strongly encourage you to visit AAAmotivatedorg to learn more and also support their cause. And remember for more empowering discussions and expert insights, make sure to visit my website, mosesthementorcom, and also subscribe to me on YouTube, moses the Mentor. So until next time, keep pushing forward and making that impact. The world waiting on you. Thank you for tuning in Peace.