Yes, I have three younger sisters.

THERE ARE FIVE FEMALES IN ONE HOUSE…

Ok, I diverted; being the oldest to me means a lot at this point. It means that I’m the guinea pig, the protector, the traitor, the second parent, the bank, the example. To them, as the oldest, that is what I am. But that isn’t really what it means to be their sister. I am also their advice giver, extra support, cheerleader, best friend, diary, make-up artist, and personal at-home live entertainment.

Growing up, I used to struggle with finding ways to connect to them. I felt like I was painted as mean for bossing them around (you know, typical older sibling/younger sibling dynamic). But as my sisters get older and I watch them not be babies anymore. I have made it my mission to continuously connect with them to show them that I love them and that I care not just as their older sibling but as their sister. I would do anything for those girls, for my sisters. And that is what sisterhood means to me. It’s making a continuous effort to show love and care to your girls. To always have their best interest at heart, to have their back, to protect them at all cost, even if that means you’re protecting them from themselves. Because at the end of the day when everyone else is gone, your sisters are always there.

Many parents get an initial gut reaction to the idea of vocational and technical education when mentioned by their children. Negative attitudes and misconceptions persist even in the face of the positive statistical outlook for the job market for these middle-skill careers. “It is considered a second choice, second-class. We must begin to change how people see vocational and technical education.

Don’t get me wrong, of course, we need teachers, doctors, lawyers, marketing managers, accountants, and other similar professions. However, we also need plumbers, electricians, nursing assistants, dental hygienists, carpenters, commercial truck drivers, and respiratory and radiation therapists. 

To change the narrative regarding trade schools, let’s clearly define it.

What is a Trade School?

Trade schools typically omit general education and liberal arts classes. Instead, they offer dedicated training in a specific, skilled vocation. For that reason, some people call these institutions vocational schools — an umbrella term that can encompass career and technical schools as well. Though these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are subtle differences.

Trade school education typically leads to careers in skilled trades, whereas technical and career schools focus on generalized practical training and marketable skills. Additionally, programs in technical schools often feature more lecture-style classes than trade schools.

Trade schools provide diplomas or certificates upon completion. Depending on the trade, graduates may qualify to enter their professions directly, or they may need to sit for a licensure examination or become an apprentice.

Here are a few things to consider before making your decision.

Subject Matter: Trade School vs. College

Time to Complete Program: Trade School vs. College

Cost: Trade School vs. College

Average Salaries: Trade School Jobs vs. College-Based Jobs

Price of Education: Trade School vs. College

Job Security: Trade School vs. College

Career Flexibility: Trade School vs. College

When deciding between trade school vs. college, students should examine their strengths, interests, and career goals. Ultimately, the objective of both is to offer quality education and help you land a future career. 

Here’s a visual of all post high school pathways.

I learned while visiting Sydney in the hospital a few years back, that she felt bound by that description, or should I say that perception that I had of her. She believed it was an expectation. She believed she always had to be happy and bubbly even when she was feeling sad. She thought she wouldn’t be accepted if she was to step outside of the box that I had placed her in. She wouldn’t even allow herself to be sick. She would be smiling at the visits and would say she was doing great, but I would get a report the following day that she had a breakdown. Why was she lying to me about how she was feeling? After crying and praying, I had to apologize for not allowing her to be herself. I had to admit to myself that maybe I don’t know my baby girl as well as I thought did. After the self-pity and guilt subsided, I had to figure out how to change my behavior. I needed to find a way to help her embrace every side of her amazing personality. I found a movie that I thought would help, ”The Emoji Movie“!! After watching the movie, I felt like it was made just for me…for us. It’s about the boxes that people put you in and what you are willing to go through to fit into those boxes. However, being yourself is what makes you unique and just what the world needs. 

Going through the process has been uncomfortable for me. I thought knowing my kid’s personalities would help me interact with them and communicate with them better. I didn’t think I was saying you can’t be anything other than that. Changing my language when interacting with her, well, all of them haven’t been easy. I started feeling like I was walking on eggshells trying not to say the wrong thing. I questioned my parenting style altogether. I want them to love themselves as much as I love them, but Sydney didn’t. I didn’t know how to fix it, and as a mother, I am supposed to know how to fix it; I felt helpless. I prided myself on being this “perfect parent”. How could she not know that she was loved, wanted, worthy, intelligent, beautiful, and talented? I told her and her sisters all the time. I guess she only heard “Sydney is the bubbly, silly, happy-go, lucky kid, she never wants anyone to be sad, and she gives in to her sisters just to keep the peace.”

I wanted to fix it…her like she was broken or something. My life is forever changed now that I fully understand and accept that she is perfect just the way she is. She didn’t always need to be happy or sad. That it’s perfectly normal to visit all the emotions, just don’t unpack. We had to learn how to communicate better. Asking the question, What did you hear me say? and I began to train myself to listen to understand and not to respond. This has taken some practice. Sometimes it comes naturally, and other times I have to put more effort. And guess what, sometimes I fail at it all together and have to apologize. It’s all a part of the process. The mental health journey is just that, a journey.

The Advisory Board is directly involved in program development to ensure our programming is relevant to the demographic we serve. Additionally, the Advisory Board assists in conducting needs assessments, hosting innovative community events for youth and young professionals, engaging the community through facilitating training, and attending community meetings and events that directly support the Board’s agenda.

We’re all about making a positive and long-lasting change in our communities. Through professional development, educational opportunities, volunteerism, and networking events.

Click the link for additional information or to apply!
https://forms.gle/TvV32x8uGQ9oTnhH9

Below are some answers to questions that may be on your mind.

Should I submit or even take the ACT/SAT if the schools on my list are test optional?

If you’ve been lucky enough to take an ACT or SAT and your score is on par with or relatively better than your GPA, you should consider submitting it to test-optional schools.

The recommendation for students, particularly in a year where so many things have been taken away, is that AP exams and SAT or ACT scores are a way to distinguish yourself in the eyes of admissions teams for test-optional schools. Colleges focus primarily on high school GPA and the rigor of an applicant’s course load, but they still value standardized testing as a tool to measure students against a common yardstick. Another reason to submit. Many colleges are still figuring out how to determine scholarship eligibility in a test-optional year and it’s not yet clear how that process will shake out.

We recommend you be strategic when testing is optional, you are better off submitting scores only if they are in line with or better than your GPA, so long as they are also in line with or better than the school’s average. If either of those is not the case, it is better not to submit scores.”

For example, a student might choose to submit her 1300 SAT score if the school’s average is 1250, but not submit it to the school on her list with a 1400 SAT average.

Should I cast a wider net for college applications this year?

Given the great many unknowns in the college application process this year, it doesn’t hurt to apply to a few extra schools. With the unpredictability, many guidance counselors are advising applicants to broaden their net, applying both to more high-range and more safety schools.

When developing your list of candidate colleges, spend time identifying schools that are the best fit for you based on four criteria: academics, campus culture, financial aid, and career services, spend time thinking about what schools you might be happy with based on those criteria and not on brand name or reputation. Students not happy at their school more than likely will either transfer or not finish all together.

How do I find the right college when I can’t visit the campus?

While visiting a college in person may be preferable, virtual tours have gotten much better at giving prospects an authentic feel for the campus, academic experience, dorm life, and extracurricular activities available. Many, too, are now interactive, offering potential applicants an opportunity to ask questions by live chat, or connect directly with current students. Some schools also offer (and recommend) one-on-one interviews via teleconferencing technology for a more personal experience.

You should take full advantage of all virtual opportunities available.

Where you could previously only see maybe three schools in person during the summer before your senior year, you can now visit 50 online whenever you want. Students at an in-person campus tour might normally be quiet because their parents are there or other students are there, but now they are becoming super engaged using online platforms. 

Virtual events not only offer college-bound students an opportunity to educate themselves about the schools they are considering but can also help them build those all-important relationships with admissions teams, administrators, and current students.

How can I demonstrate leadership when my after-school activities have been halted?

Athletics, music, clubs, volunteer work, and part-time jobs have traditionally been an excellent way to demonstrate leadership skills on your college application. But what do you do when a semester or more of those activities have been taken away?

There are plenty of ways for students to differentiate themselves, from volunteer tutoring online, to virtual work for their part-time job, to taking a leadership role with organizations like i Am My Sister’s Emerging Young Leaders & Professionals Advisory Board.

You may even be able to start a new online club through your school or an i Am My Sister club in the community. 

Final tips

The full implications of COVID-19 on the 2021 admissions cycle may not yet be clear, but you can reduce your stress level significantly in the short term by focusing on that which they can control — using virtual events to research colleges carefully, staying connected with friends and family to support your emotional well-being, and staying focused on your senior year grades to ensure that you finish strong.

We are redefining beauty with BeautiFit Me!

BeautiFit Me! Is about feeling your best, inside and out; a goal worth pursuing. For some of us, it is about eating healthier and exercising more. For others, it is about achieving a level of self-confidence that comes with personal accomplishment. For everyone, it’s about embracing a more active lifestyle, where constructive weight loss, increased energy through exercise, positive thinking, and new levels of feeling and looking good can be achieved. We all aspire to affirm BeautiFit but sometimes it takes the coaching, the caring, and the dedication of someone else to nurture and motivate us along the way. 

Stop by the “BeautiFit Me” blog for some tools and resources, and of course some encouragement from your fellow sisters on your journey to become BEAUTIFIT!

We are so excited to welcome our new cohort of young people to the Emerging Young Leaders & Professionals Advisory Board!

Meet & Greet – check

First Meeting – Check 

Officers Elected – Check

Welcome Team!

Takara, College Senior – Co-Chair

Autumn, HS Sophomore – Co-Chair

Hannah, HS Sophomore – Treasurer

Sydney, HS Junior – Secretary and Historian

Leeora, HS Sophomore – Member

Yanique, College Grad – Member

Kayla Johnson – Director

Stay tuned for pictures of the team and a preview of this year’s agenda!! Follow the EYLPAB on Instagram (@EmergingYoungLeaders) and Snapchat (@EmergingYoungLeaders)

About the EYLPAB:

i Am My Sister’s Emerging Young Leaders and Professionals Advisory Board is a diverse cohort of young ladies ages 16-26 years old from all around the USA dedicated to advocacy, promoting personal growth, community leadership, and the exchange of ideas.

The Advisory Board is directly involved in program development to ensure our programming is relevant to the demographic we serve. Additionally, the Advisory Board assists in conducting needs assessments, hosting innovative community events for youth and young professionals, engaging the community through facilitating training, and attending community meetings and events that directly support the Board’s agenda.

These young people can change their generation’s perception of life and the future. The long-term goal is to eventually have EYLPAB be a Grantmaker for grassroots community youth implemented initiatives.

Let our Emerging Young Leaders & Professional Advisory share their thoughts and opinions with you. Don’t worry, if the question is outside of their area of expertise, we will bring in some guests with a little more experience to respond.

So be shy, your name is kept confidential!

Some Popular Categories:

Life, Love, Sex, Relationships (friendship and romantic), Career, School, Parents, and Family.

You can submit your questions by emailing dearfellowsister@iammysister.org or by texting 516-669-2827

Disclaimer: Our answers reflect our personal opinions only and are meant solely for informational purposes. They do not constitute legal, financial, medical, or any other form of professional advice and should not be construed as such, nor are they replacements for the advice, diagnosis, or treatment that can only be provided by a licensed physician, mental health professional, or financial expert, and should not be considered as a substitute for such advice. By submitting your question, you agree to waive all liability arising from any action taken or potentially taken in response to or as a result of the advice provided here.

By submitting a question, you grant i Am My Sister permission to post it on this site anonymously, or publish it elsewhere, including print publications. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length and clarity.

But what does true sisterhood mean to you? Have you recently taken time to observe your closest girlfriends or thoughts on what sisterhood means to you? 

Webster’s Dictionary defines “Sisterhood” as the following:

1a: the state of being a sister.

b: sisterly relationship

2: a community or society of sisters especially: a society of women in a religious order

3: the solidarity of women based on shared conditions, experiences, or concerns.

Urban Dictionary defines “Sisterhood” as the following:

A bond between two or more girls, not always related by blood. They always tell the truth, honor each other, and love each other like sisters. 

We are so excited to have this space where we can share, encourage one another, or even use this space to vent (in a healthy of course).

i Am My Sister; you are not alone, what affects you affects me.

My name is Lela Blackwell, Founder & President of I Am My Sister and mother of a now amazing 17-year-old young lady name Sydney who has been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorder. What you read is just a snippet of the beginning of my journey as a mother of an adolescent battling mental health issues. I know I am not alone, and for many mothers, their story didn’t end with a response back.

For almost a year Sydney struggled with talking about her time in the hospital; four times in eight months. Whenever anyone would bring up the topic, she would get defensive, and her response would immediately be “that’s in the past, why do we have to talk about it”. At 5:30 am one Saturday, the topic came up again while she was discussing her therapy session from the previous day, and of course, she got defensive. I finally had to explain to her that nothing we go through is for ourselves. We’re put through trials and tests because God knows that we can handle them. As we make it through our trials and test, He hopes that we will share our testimony to help someone else get through theirs. In short, it’s not about us. No, it’s not fair, but how special that God chose you, that he trusted you, that he needed you…us. I always told her that I wouldn’t share her story because it’s not my story to tell, but hers when she’s ready. At that moment, I realized that wasn’t completely true, and I couldn’t hold to my word any longer on the topic because I too went through this journey and I too had a story to tell…my story. That it wasn’t about me, but other parents that needed to know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and to grab hold of a little bit of hope.

WELCOME! This is our first blog post for “Mind Your Mental Moment”. When I re-launched i Am My Sister I knew that we had to include a mental health initiative. The initiative is called “Mind Your Mental” and it gives high school and college young ladies a safe space to tell their stories, live in their truth, and receive access to resources, and support from their fellow sisters as they navigate through their mental health journey. It allows young ladies to focus on being the best versions of themselves by focusing on themselves.

The goal of this blog is to bring awareness, start and continue the conversation, break the stigma, and more importantly, give young ladies a voice. On this blog, you will read and sometimes watch and listen as young people, therapist, and the community shares their stories, our thoughts, and feelings about topics related to mental wellness, learn about tools and resources for those affected by mental health (which is everyone), and our journey and commitment to end the stigma.