Workshops

Educate to Liberate Academy specializes in helping first-generation, low-income 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.

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.

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.

Personalized Support

Personal Statement Review

I have been admitted to highly competitive programs including:

White House Internship Program (1 percent acceptance rate, 10,000+ applicants)
Public Policy and International Affairs Program (9% acceptance rate)
John R. Lewis Fellowship
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
Harvard Public Policy Leadership Conference Scholar
Harvard Future Young Leaders in Law Program

I have also reviewed applications for one of the most competitive summer programs in the world, served on a nonprofit board, and worked as an English teacher.

I understand what makes an application competitive. In the age of AI, when essays are starting to sound the same, strategy and storytelling matter more than ever.

What You Get

Direct, blunt, honest feedback
Structural and strategic edits
Real critique if your essay needs to be rewritten

I hold you to a high standard!

Payment Structure

A comprehensive essay review of this depth typically starts at $100. Instead of paying me, you can make a donation YOU can afford to Educate to Liberate Academy through the Donate tab.

The suggested donation is $15, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

My mentors supported me when I did not have the resources to pay for guidance. This model allows me to honor that legacy while respecting the time and care I put into every review.

High Level Strategy Session

Book a 30 minute Google Meet call for direct guidance on:

Navigating early career or post grad life with a humanities degree
Breaking into policy, law, government, or nonprofit spaces
Personal brand development
Building a nonprofit or social impact initiative
Strategic positioning for competitive opportunities

Much of this strategy is often hidden behind generational access or expensive coaching. I share what I know because information should not be gatekept.

Before booking, please read the Educate to Liberate Academy resource guides. Many foundational questions are already answered there. This call is for deeper strategy and personalized guidance.

Investment

A 30 minute to 1 hour strategy session of this depth typically starts at $100. Instead of paying me, you can make a donation YOU can afford to Educate to Liberate Academy through the Donate tab.

The suggested donation is $20, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds :)