As part of the First Star University of Miami Academy four-week summer residency, Asa, 16, Malachi, 15, and D’Naryia, 16, have been learning what it takes to be successful entrepreneurs. The teens are collaborating in groups with other foster care teens, generating business plans and pitches for a “Shark Tank” style competition before a group of “investors,” entrepreneurs from the Miami community.
Confidence and perseverance top their list of necessary qualities.
“Being confident is a big one. Trusting your gut, not listening to others say ‘no’ if you know in your heart that your business will be successful,” said D’Naryia.
“You gotta be confident and talk like you mean it. Speak a lot and speak clearly, and be able to negotiate,” said Malachi.
“Be able to adjust to the changing environment and start a new trend. And keep going no matter what—you have to be consistent,” Asa highlighted.
Though they may not realize it, these youths already know a ton about perseverance, having grown up grappling with the inconsistencies, instability, and absence of support inherent to the foster care system. Their participation in First Star Academy, a national four-year college-prep program offered at 13 U.S. university campuses and launched at the University in 2017, is going a long way to build the confidence that stems from recognizing self-worth and founded on academic competency.
First Star Academy is a partnership of the School of Law’s Children and Youth Law Clinic and the School of Education and Human Development. A number of other University schools are supporting the experience.
“We want to expose students to a variety of career pathways and skills to broaden their perspectives and empower them to pursue their dreams. The University provides so many rich opportunities to explore diverse fields,” said Kele Stewart, law professor and co-director of the Children and Youth Law Clinic.
Stewart and Wendy Morrison-Cavendish, a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, are the lead faculty for the program. Maria Pia De Castro, Miami Law director of programs, runs the program day to day.
The cohort this summer consists of 35 foster youths, rising ninth to 12th graders from high schools around the county. They live in residence halls on campus—a major shift in their environment—for a month. The teens receive daily instruction in math, English, and science. A group of 18 freshmen and sophomores have been learning about careers in business.
Invested in their futures
Isaiah Frazier, who recently earned his B.B.A. in organizational leadership from the Patti and Allan Herbert Business School, is one of the instructors for the sessions on business strategy. Frazier learned about the program from a friend in his Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and got to know some of the youth while volunteering for First Star Saturday meetings during the school year.
With his meals and housing paid for, the summer residency offered an ideal opportunity for Frazier to gain teaching experience and support the youth.
“Nowadays, all of the youth innately know how to do things for themselves through having access to their cell phones—even if they don’t think these are entrepreneurial skills,” explained Frazier, who himself has been mentored by Vernon Chipman, a staff developer for Broward County Public Schools.
“Though I’ve worked with youth previously, this has been my first time teaching. It’s been surprising—and so satisfying—to have some of the students take initiative outside of class and then come up to me for feedback on their ideas,” Frazier said. “Seeing them get that much invested in it, how much they actually care, makes me feel like I’m making a difference.”
Frazier has impressed on the group that their ideas need to be focused on solving a problem and supporting their communities, not simply making money.
D’Naryia’s pitch, titled “The Moral of the Story,” calls for a salon that uses skin-care products especially designed for the Black community that help to improve self-image and break down stereotypes. Malachi’s “Transform Me” project looks to build affordable housing units in the Goulds community in South Dade, while Asa’s “AAA Tech” leans on his interest in engineering to generate software that supports those with disabilities and special needs.
The group of older youth have been learning about filmmaking from instructors connected with the School of Communication and the nonprofit After School Film Institute (ASFI), which provides filmmaking workshops to middle and high school students across Miami.
Rafal Sokolowski, an assistant professor who teaches directing and film production, served as lead faculty to coordinate logistics. Jaida Headley, a recent alumna of the Frost School of Music and also part of the University’s Black Creatives Collective, has been instructing along with Pablo Velho, who recently earned his master’s degree from the Department of Cinematic Arts, and has been teaching production and editing skills. ASFI designed the curriculum and provided instructors Flor Porteri and Paolo Cesti.
“Some of the youth really take it seriously and are very smart; they have a really good future in filmmaking if they decide to go that direction,” said Velho, originally from Brazil and with lengthy history in production. “My main goal as a mentor is to help the kids know why they’re here and to challenge them to really learn.”
Trinity, China, Leanna, and Stiven, rising juniors and seniors at area high schools, are part of the group enjoying learning how to operate cameras, block scenes, set lighting, and even gaining acting experience. They’re all excited to see their short films showcased July 26 at the University’s Bill Cosford Cinema for a private viewing.
As part of their residency experience, First Star Academy students were also treated to career exploration activities at the Lowe Art Museum, in architecture with professor Carie Penabad, physics with professor Nagendra Prakash, and other sciences with professor Ashutosh Agarwal.
