Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Smith-Williams.
Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
When I turned 30, I found myself going through a mental breakdown. Most of my struggles stemmed from childhood trauma; others came from challenges from trying to navigate adulthood as a young mother. One day, my husband encouraged me to write my feelings on paper. After years of journaling, that journal turned into a book. That book was self-published in 2020. It was refreshing and freeing to release something so intimate during a time when many felt so lost. It was important to share my testimony to help others grow. I named the book The Growth of Me, composed of poems about my most inner thoughts and secrets. Inside the book, each poem has a reflection question where the reader to reflect on what they read and journal in the book. I hope it takes my readers on a journey to free themselves of any bondage, trauma, depression, or anxiety that keeps them from becoming who they want to be. It empowered me to grow into the woman I am today.
The Growth of Me Academy started because I witnessed the book’s power in people’s lives. As a licensed educator and educational leader, I have many experiences of young children battling suicidal thoughts due to trauma or the inability to communicate their feelings or thoughts. As a young girl who struggled with trauma and how it affected me as an adult, it was important that no other girl struggled in silence. The Growth of Me Academy is an online youth program for girls 8-16 years that are empowered to express themselves through writing in the comfort of their peers. Our motto is that our girls grow into the young woman they are called to be.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not been smooth. I am very hard on myself and strive for perfection. The challenge is that no one or nothing is perfect. That is something I have had to deal with and am still learning. The youth program is still very new. We are spreading the word and saving each girl one girl at a time.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been in education for 11 years. Outside of being the founder and teacher of Growth of me Academy, I work at a major charter school organization. I advocate and fundraise for our student’s needs, so they can have the best quality education and facilities to be socially and academically prepared for their future.
Growing up, I did not have a school of choice and struggled in high school. My behavior change at school was noticeable. However, I did not have any adult at school intervene or ask me about the change. As an educator or educational leader, it is important that you know each child’s story and intervene when necessary. Every child needs a supportive adult at school and a cheerleader. That is why I stepped into the world of education. I wanted to be that supportive adult and cheerleader because children are our future and must grow to be the best version of themselves.
What matters most to you?
I advocate for mental health in children and normalize giving children a voice to express themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.growthofmeacademy.com
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thegrowthofmeacademy.com
Image Credits
William Belief of William Belief Production, William Belief at Shot By Lief
