Teen summit attempts to uplift, inspire young girls of color to confidently chase dreams
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- Signage outside of the Adobe campus in Lehi for the emPoweHERed teen summit for young girls is shown on Sept. 6, 2024.
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- A teen summit connects young girls of color to business leaders and entreprenuers to inspire and encourage networking and future careers on Sept. 6, 2024.
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- Tunisha Brown, founder and editor in-chief of Impact Magazine, left, unveils the cover for their latest issue, featuring 15-year-old Freedom Shearer, right, during a teen summit for girls on Sept. 6, 2024.
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- A row of painting canvasses shows a variety of affirmations where teen girls participated in a snack and paint activity during a summit for teen girls on Sept. 6, 2024.
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- A teen summit connects young girls of color to business leaders and entrepreneurs to inspire and encourage networking and future careers on Sept. 6, 2024.
Inspiring a future generation of young women of color in Utah has become an ambition for Tunisha Brown, the founder and editor-in-chief of Impact Magazine.
It started last year after attending the annual Provo Girls Summit, where girls got to meet one-on-one with female professionals from a variety of fields. She noticed several girls of color appeared apprehensive about approaching the different tables of businesses.
“When it came time for them to come to my table, they waited until the other girls left,” Brown explained. “And I said, ‘why not?’ And they were just waiting because they didn’t feel like it was for them.”
From that moment, Brown knew she wanted to create a space where girls of diverse backgrounds could feel comfortable and confident talking to female leaders of businesses or companies that they may be interested in.
Those efforts were on full display Sept. 6 at the Adobe campus in Lehi as the inaugural emPoweHERed To IMPACT: Career Exploratory Summit connected young girls to successful women of color in high positions.
Just over a dozen industry fields were on display for young women to explore from tech, art, education, beauty and skincare, financial support and others ranging from big businesses to entrepreneurs.
“I just wanted that good mix for them to have both, so you could work at a job or own your own business,” Brown said.
Representatives from Adobe were on hand to answer questions for students interested in a career in tech and computer software.
Craig Bell, a senior database lead at Adobe and a professor at Utah Valley University, emphasized how accessible materials are.
“One of the things that I always try to tell everyone who comes up to the booth, I’m like, ‘Do you own a laptop?’ Because everything that I do, the software that I work on every single day, all of it is free, but so many people don’t know that,” Bell said.
He encourages students to be self-motivators and spend time learning new tools because it can ultimately lead to financial stability.
“I tell every single one of my students at UVU, three to five years into the (tech) industry, you are making six figures,” Bell said.
Artist Yasmine Jordan showcased her artwork while also providing an interactive experience for young women with a snack and paint session.
“I designed each Canvas specifically for the event with affirmations that the girls can take home with them,” Jordan told the Daily Herald. “It’s predesigned already, so it’s kind of like they colored it in and those positive affirmations can be something nice in their life.”
The opportunity gave the teens a way to express themselves and display creativity through art.
Jordan found that many of the young ladies gravitated to her table and seemed to enjoy painting and connecting with other teens.
She hopes the girls who spent time painting learned to embrace the gift of telling stories through a paintbrush.
“Just believe in yourself, harness your greatness, always learn and be true to yourself,” Jordan said.
Tanei Henry, founder of Provo Girls Summit, said it was an honor to have Brown at their event in 2023 and recognized her goal to ensure that black girls see women of color in professional roles.
“With my interest in making sure that, you know, women in Utah are on an upward trajectory, my answer was, of course, you have to do it,” Henry said.
She said it’s imperative for the youth to get early exposure to new ideas, which can spark curiosity and lead to asking questions.
“I think there’s nothing better than face-to-face contact, looking somebody in the eye, being treated as a peer and being seen for who you are, especially at a young age,” Henry said.
Also serving as a teacher, Henry said she’s noticed how teenage girls often struggle with choosing a college and career path, which makes this type of event so important.
“And the big question is always, ‘What am I going to do?’ And so just giving young girls access to humans who care about them and are invested in their future, it only benefits them,” Henry said.
Furthering one’s education can play a vital role in these young women’s lives. Brown wanted to make sure those opportunities were also made available to the teens who attended.
With the help of partnering businesses such as Mothers Shut In, Spider Network, Cameron Russell Williams IMPACT Fund, Blendyd Studios, Lucid, Ancestry and others, $5,000 in scholarships were also awarded to several high school seniors.
The evening also included an unveiling for the cover of IMPACT Magazine’s September issue featuring 15-year-old Freedom Shearer, who grew up in Utah’s foster care system and shared her inspiring story of resilience amidst constant obstacles.
Brown said she’s already planning for next year’s event, and in the meantime, she encourages young women to seize the opportunities that await them.
“Go out on a limb; that’s where the fruit is,” Brown said.
