My Surge Moment

The Surge Institute is a network, a family, and a movement, built by and for communities of color and designed to empower, educate, and elevate our leaders in the education systems serving our youth. When I applied to become a Surge fellow in July of 2017, I wrote,

“Through Surge, I hope to be able to take my experiences and refine my high level skills to reach a larger audience…I would use these networks to collaborate in advocacy, support development of other people’s ideas, and tackle not just my own interest areas in education, but support others who are looking to move the work forward. I see Surge as a synergistic community and I am ready to be part of that work for the sake of empowerment and advancement of our people.”

Through the Surge community, Brilliant Light was born. During the fellowship, in addition to negotiation and financial reporting, I learned how to lean in to my strengths, let go of limiting beliefs, and trust the process. I wholeheartedly believe our world becomes a better place when we are all given space to shine, which is why I continue to give back to Surge. #SurgeForMore, Surge’s annual online giving campaign, runs from November 15th through December 31st. Today, you can double your investment, as an anonymous donor is matching up to $10k of donations dollar-for-dollar!

Check out this 2 minute video to catch a glimpse into how our time in Surge led to an ongoing partnership between Brilliant Light and Bronzeville Classical.