Meet Sianni Cabello of SocialSocietyU
Website Article: http://voyageatl.com/interview/meet-sianni-cabello-socialsocietyu-inc-domestic-international/
Today we’d like to introduce you to Sianni Cabello.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sianni. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a graduate of a HBCU (Hampton University) & Ivy League (Columbia University), I really was able to explore the spectrum of two historically different universities. This gave me the ability to speak on and vouch for both… if I did because school is not for everyone and cannot determine one’s success. However, SocialSocietyU was inspired by a series of events that happened throughout my life. There was one event that tipped the scale. I was volunteering at a local community organization and there was a young man who came to participate in my workshop. When he arrived, he said, “The only thing I am good at is smoking and partying.”. I personally saw that as a door to keep talking with him, probing his mind to dig deeper, to think critically with his teammates. I tried to take the pressure off of his analytical knowledge and shifted that towards developing ideas and thinking creatively. After our activity was over, he came up to me and said, “Well, the real thing I want to do in life, is become an actor and a movie director.”
He was serious, & this showed me that sometimes people just need a little push and a clear way on how to pursue their goals. In short, I was inspired by the need to encourage young men and women to chase their dreams, to find hope again, and to find fulfillment in whatever it is they have decided to put their hand to.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Our organization is centered on faith – it’s our foundational purpose to bring life into destitute places, to help students find the light again. Jesus has been and was such an integral part in my high school years – that’s who I found my purpose in. With faith being our center and foundation, there have been many instances where faith was the only thing we could rely on.
For instance, many of our events were coordinated and set to go without having a definite location locked in. God told me to keep going so that’s what I did. I still coordinated with my volunteers, panelist, and students. Maybe a few weeks before the event date a venue confirmed with us. This has happened about three times to us now & every time God proved himself true. However, I would not suggest this for everyone, this was just one of the many ways God can test someone’s obedience and faith.
Please tell us about SocialSocietyU, Inc. SocialSocietyU, Inc. is a hub of college prep resources. That engage and motivate high school students towards finding their purposes. We do what we do through faith, entertainment, college prep workshops, and by providing a taste of college culture. Every year we have our semi-annual event “The Gathering” which is what I like to call a college prep party and symposium. We have a live DJ, college students, universities, vendors, a celebrity panel, and college prep workshops all present to inspire our youth. Some of our past celebrities have included individuals from the NBA, BET, iHeartRadio, Wild n’ Out, & more.
With faith at our foundation, it’s our mission to help students find their pathways into college or into other paths their heart may desire. We want to build students holistically; I think this is one thing that separates us from other college prep organizations. Plus, we like to have fun, we like for our students to see themselves in our programs and events. We believe that motivation starts within & kids at times need a little fun to work towards the bigger picture.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently? I would have most certainly had a co-founder. Sharing the load & taking risk with someone makes things easier for sure.
Pricing:
Workshop Prices: Per 2 students $50.00
Contact Info:
Website: www.socialsocietyu.org
Phone: 4072713753
Email: contact@socialsocietyu.org
Instagram: instagram.com/socialsocietyu/
Facebook: facebook.com/SocialSocietyU/
Twitter: twitter.com/SocialSocietyU
Other: Personal: instagram.com/siannijessica/
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