Workshop

As a dynamic speaker and proud college and career readiness advocate, Johana and Educate to Liberate Academy specialize in helping first-generation, low-income Black students navigate higher education and unlock life-changing opportunities. We partner with schools, nonprofits, and churches to deliver engaging and informative workshops that empower students to take control of their academic and professional journeys.

As a near-peer mentor and first-generation college student herself, Johana understands the gaps in guidance, access, and information that so many students face, because she’s lived it. All workshops are rooted in lived experience, backed by proven outcomes, and designed to meet students where they are, whether they’re just beginning to explore college or already striving to become top-tier applicants.

Workshops For College Students

Maximizing College – What No One Tells First-Gen Students

Too often, students are told that college is the key to success without being taught how to actually make the most of it. This workshop breaks down the “hidden curriculum” of higher education and equips students with a practical game plan to thrive: networking, building your resume, and more. It includes a self-audit activity that helps students assess where they stand and what to improve.

Cream of the Crop – How to Become a Competitive Applicant for Prestigious Opportunities

This workshop is for high-achieving students who are ready to stop playing small. Designed for those aiming to compete for elite fellowships, internships, and scholarships, it demystifies what it actually takes to stand out, from crafting a compelling personal narrative to strategically building a competitive profile.

Students will walk away with a delusional level of confidence, audacity, ambition and zero room for imposter syndrome. This is for the dreamers, the doers, and the ones bold enough to believe they belong at the top.

The State of Black Families — An Immersive Historical Experience

This offering is not a traditional workshop, it’s a fully immersive, interactive experience that invites Black college students to engage deeply with the historical forces that have shaped Black families in America. Through creative group-based exploration and guided reflection, participants uncover how different eras, from slavery to the present, have influenced the structure, strength, and survival of Black families.

The experience is intentionally designed to be both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant. It brings history to life and provides a deeper understanding of the systems that continue to impact our communities today. Following the interactive component, students engage in a facilitated Socratic seminar to unpack what they’ve learned and connect it to current issues, policy, and personal purpose.

This offering is ideal for Black student organizations, NPHC chapters, NAACP college chapters, cultural centers, and HBCUs. It aligns with the core mission of Educate to Liberate Academy, investing in future Black leaders by creating transformative educational experiences.

Workshops For High School Students

College 101 – Everything You Were Never Taught About Higher Education

This foundational workshop is designed for students who are completely new to the world of college, especially those attending schools with limited college advising or no College & Career Center at all.

In this session, I break down the basics of higher education in an accessible, student-friendly way: the different types of institutions (community colleges, HBCUs, Ivies, liberal arts colleges), how to construct a strong college list, admissions types and timelines, financial aid and the student loan crisis, and common myths like “college is a scam.”

It’s an information-rich, demystifying presentation that gives students a broad but clear overview of the college landscape, and empowers them to ask better questions, set informed goals, and start planning for their future.

The Cost of Living Project

Too often, young people overestimate the long-term value of low-wage jobs simply because they’ve never had to support themselves. The Cost of Living Project is a hands-on learning experience designed to open students' eyes to the financial realities of adult life. Through engaging simulations grounded in real data, participants will explore what it actually takes to live independently, support a family, or maintain a desired lifestyle in their local area.

This project pushes students to move beyond abstract numbers and into practical financial literacy, illuminating how housing, transportation, food, childcare, and more add up quickly. Ultimately, students walk away with a sharper understanding of why upskilling, further education, or entering a high-demand trade can be critical to long-term stability and success.

Personal Statement Workshop: Crafting Compelling College Essays

Why do some story choices land better than others? How can we be intentional about the impression we leave behind? We help students dig deep to uncover and tell their most purposeful stories.

Students will learn how to think critically about how their story reflects their values, character, and potential. We’ll talk about how readers will interpret your essay, not just what it says on the surface, but what it signals about the kind of student, leader, and community member you’ll be.

We’ll also break down common pitfalls from cliché topics to forced vulnerability, and replace them with strategies that highlight each student’s unique voice and experience.

By the end of the workshop, students walk away not just with a stronger essay, but with a sharper sense of how to present their authentic selves.