Archive: Around Town

Janaishia Frost, senior at New Roots Charter School, is a participant in the intensive IMPACT ZONE Student Leadership Training Program founded by Vince Lombardi Trophy winner and Super Bowl Champion Corey Harris. Ms. Leanora Erica Mims, a professional trainer with degrees in international business, finance and marketing, approached Frost about joining IMPACT ZONE at Ithaca's Congo Square Market where she was modeling Mim's original African clothing designs as a market intern. Frost was hand picked because of her can do attitude and because of her potential to develop as a IMPACT ZONE student leader standout. Janaishia's qualities of determination, hard work and willingness to continuously improve in learning about her leadership style and to maintain her lead in this innovative program, makes her the ideal candidate.

Frost's work with Mims has given her inspiration and understanding needed to be a young entrepreneur and leader. According to Frost, "being an entrepreneur, is being a lot of things."

In her free time Frost has found a way to express her emotions, tell a story or project a certain image of herself through poetry, dance and modeling. Her career interest in midwifery comes from the strong connection she feels with babies. Frost wants to learn about natural childbirth and water birthing to help women go through their journey in the birthing process.

The purpose of the IMPACT ZONE leadership training program is to allow students to see themselves in control of their own destinies. The program provides a strong foundation for students to see themselves as successful leaders in all areas of their lives. The brand slogan "DON'T JUST DO IT, DO IT LIKE A CHAMPION" builds the foundation for the championship mindset that lasts a lifetime.

Before her mentorship, Frost wasn't certain what to do with her education or how to pursue her dreams. "It was hard, it brought me down and it got to the point where I just wanted to give up."

Working with Mims has helped Frost see herself as a leader, ready to teach other young people. "I can be in any situation now, bad or good, and know how to navigate through those issues."

This experience has provided Frost with life-changing perspective as a young woman of color. "I have personally noticed that people are not giving us the connections that we need," she said.  She admits to struggling with this personally. "It seems like, whatever community that young women of color are in, they are in a system that tosses them around like they're nothing."

Another challenge she shared is that young people of color are told to think realistically. Frost sees this as a serious problem because when you think realistically you limit your mind's ability to see the bigger picture. Frost thinks that what young people need is to be told to think outside of the box and to think big. Referencing Lisa Nichols, author of the book Abundance Now, Frost points out that there was nothing realistic about Steve Jobs and how he created his big corporation and there was nothing realistic about Nelson Mandela going to prison before leading the world's largest social movement.

Frost feels fortunate to be mentored by such an accomplished entrepreneur and leader who is a woman of color.  Among her accomplishments, Mims volunteered with youth to develop a branding slogan in Spanish/English that was shown during the 2015 Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards. The slogan netted the non-profit $18.4 million dollars in advertising revenue and each of the students in the commercial received $2,500.00 in scholarship money.

"Janaishia embodies the values of the program and I am very proud of her progress" said Mims.

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