Why I Started....
Believe in YOU(th) Corporation is a newly founded nonprofit organization inspired by the desire my father and I shared for the youth and their need for support. My father Aubrey O’bryant worked in the North Chicago School system for 10+ years, and during that time, he gave countless hours of his time to the students as a coach, mentor, tutor, leader; to some even a father figure. He gained the name “UNC”, but more than that he gained the respect of the students, faculty and the community.
​
I too have always had a love for people, of all ages but specifically the youth. Growing up in North Chicago, I know what our youth is up against and the struggles they are facing and how others view them as underprivileged and underservant. My heart has always been full of grace and its been my given purpose to give back and show the kids of my community that there is more to world than what our small town is currently offering.
​
This is the reason why in late 2022 we chose to start our non profit Believe in YOU(th) Corporation. To motivate the youth to believe in their selves, their dreams, and their futures. “Believing in You WITH You” long as you believe in yourself, I am believing in you just as much. They have to know that NO ONE can want more for them than they want for themselves, it has to come from the heart, and we can only help to instill this in them. As mentors we let them know, that anything they want in life it has to be worked for, we can’t give it to them but we can help them get there the best we can, and will stand in their corner and push them as far as they allow us to.
​
In January 2023, I lost my father unexpectedly from a heart attack. This tore me apart and had me a bit discouraged and slowed me down some, because I didn’t know how I would do it without him. I hit a few bumps, had life give me lemons, but I chose to squeeze them and make Iced tea instead on plain old lemonade; starting the first branch of the corporation late 2023 called Young Ladies to Wise Women (YLWW). This group focuses on high school aged girls 9th-12th grade, to assist them through the challenges of adolescence. We have built a curriculum that harnesses their strengths individually and collectively. We understand the difficulties that arise during the most impressionable phases of high school and beyond. The Mission and vision of YLWW is to provide guidance, mentorship and life skills to the students that are transitioning into high school and from there into college. With this we strive to create a world that is safe, where being in a community with others is inundated with unconditional love, support, opportunity, and a call to action that will continue to create pathways for access and opportunity to increase overall life quality for all.
One of my biggest goals and main focuses of YLWW is self love and enforcing affirmations. It is important for young ladies now in this growing generation to know that it is ok to be themselves, and accepting themselves as God made them to be. A young mind is easily persuaded by social media and will do anything to be a part of the social norms, but we want to push them to make their own norms and be leaders not followers; be the one setting the trends, not following them.
