“I know that sometimes it was a struggle for my mom to support me all the time in my dance classes,” Tamya writes in the second installment of the Ms. miniseries, The Kids of Magnolia Mother’s Trust. “Uniforms, traveling fees, parade fees—these all add up.”
A high school senior in Jackson, Miss., Tamya reflects on how dance became not only her greatest passion, but also the place where she learned leadership, self-confidence and self-advocacy. She writes candidly about the pride of becoming captain of her dance team, the heartbreak of eventually walking away after feeling undermined by a new coach, and the lessons she carried forward anyway about knowing her worth.
Tamya also reflects on how participating in Springboard to Opportunities’ Youth Fellowship deepened her understanding of Black history, leadership and community.
“It’s important to remember that there is so much more to the world than what I just see around me. And since I know my worth, my skills and my leadership, I can’t wait to go explore it.”
Following Tamya’s essay, her mother Tamara shares what it means to hear her daughter speak so confidently about her future after years spent trying to shield her children from financial stress and instability.
“I wanted to put a dream in them and allow them to believe that they can be anything that they want to be and their lives are not going to be determined by where they live or their circumstances,” she writes. “That’s why I am so proud hearing Tamya talk about the leader she already is and all the dreams she has for her life moving forward.”
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