RISE UP First: Empowering youth to be Resilient, Innovative, Set-Apart, and Educated. Our unique approach focuses on helping them Understand their Purpose first while preparing the generations today for the tomorrow to come.

My name is Tameka. I am an academic gardener who Sows Seeds for Success. With over twenty years in education, I have empowered hundreds of scholars from early childhood through college. My latest success was relocating to Africa to open RISE Christian Academy, an early elementary center in the remote farming community of Goromonzi, Zimbabwe. While I am very proud of RISE Zimbabwe, I still have a desire to work directly with parents to help them empower their children.

I believe every individual has a unique purpose, which may be to innovate, create, solve problems, or express creativity. However, many never achieve their goals or fulfill their divine assignment.

Based on my extensive experience with diverse demographics, ages, and social classes across different continents, I have identified the following ten Seeds for Success essential for empowering individuals to realize their divine assignment and achieve unparalleled success.

1. Identifying your STAR Power (Strength, Talent, Ability, and Real Purpose)
2. Growth vs. Fixed Mindset (Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are correct.)
3. Progress vs. Perfection ( See FAILure as a First Attempt In Learning)
4. Cultivating an Independent Learner (Independent, but not alone. Everyone needs a Dream Team: Coach, Accountability Partner, & Cheerleader)
5. Developing Executive Function Skills (focusing on Organization, Time Management, Self-Monitoring, and Impulse Control)
6. Creating SMART & WOOP Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Bound & Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan)
7. Critical Thinking & Reasoning Skills (The goal is not to restate facts, but to question, analyze, and evaluate)
8. The Importance of Character (Grit, Resilience, & Perseverance)
9. Effective Communication & Collaboration (“If you want to go FAST, go alone. If you want to go FAR, go together.”)
10. Self Reflection (Glows – identifying things that went well & Grows – identifying areas for improvement)

Here’s my Call to Action: Remember you don’t have to have degrees or a specialized education to empower your child to become who they were created to be. Remember you don’t have to go alone. Identify the people in your “Village” and those on your “Dream Team”! Work with these individuals to find ways to close academic gaps that the school system cannot or are not able to fill.

Tameka Holcomb

Education Coach