a day of dreaming (on youth)

One day as I was scrolling through Twitter, I came across a platform called Dream on Youth. The content was compelling: I had stumbled upon the account amidst their “Self-Worth Wednesday”weekly segment, where the platform encourages their extended reach to share photos of themselves complemented by an expression of self-love. I found myself inspired by the account’s bio. When I first found the account, it read: We are one community building an empire of social goodness. Welcome to your safe space to raise self-awareness and give a voice to the fight against stigmas. At the time of publication, it reads: We are the most bad*** empire of social goodness. Black-owned, female-led, all-inclusive community. Join the online during #selfworthwednesday. Awesome.

I’ve worked with a smattering of online publishing platforms in the past, and though all have dressy mission statements, often the agenda is driven by clicks and relevancy, leaving authenticity and connection on a secondary tier. It’s something that has always confused me about online publications – why publish pithy pitches (say that five times fast!) just for the sake of publishing? What is the lasting effect?

I did not get a flighty impression from Dream on Youth as an institution, and wanted to learn more. I reached out to the “boss lady”, Cydney; you can read my interview with her here. However, right now, I want to introduce you to the interns of Dream on Youth – all of whom possess ideologies rooted in the belief that while one person has the power to make a difference in someone’s life, it is together great waves of change are made.

Meet Chelsea Triano, a customer care intern for Dream on Youth.

TLL: What is something you want to accomplish through your work with DOY?

CT: The ability to manage my time, spent building communities and building myself. This… offers so much opportunity to inspire others while inspiring yourself in the run.

TLL: What is your favorite thing about yourself?

CT: I love that I do everything in life with my full heart. (This trait of mine, however, often holds me back from jumping onto projects because I know that I want to put everything of me into it every time.)

TLL: Do you have a personal mantra you subscribe to?

CT: “What she tackles, she conquers.” It’s a quote from Richard Gilmore, speaking of Rory from Gilmore Girls.

Meet Julianne Desjardins, a blogger for Dream on Youth.

TLL: What is something you want to accomplish through your work with DOY?

JD: Something that I want to accomplish with my work for DOY is to make each girl and guy feel that they have a voice in this world and that they are never alone in the struggles they may be facing!

TLL: What is your favorite thing about yourself?

JD: My favorite thing about myself is my ability to remember even the smallest details about people’s lives and be able to ask them questions about how something they are working on is going and just making them feel heard.

TLL: Do you have a personal mantra you subscribe to?

JD: My personal mantra is: “Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”

Meet Julia Hughes, a fall/winter intern for Dream on Youth, responsible for writing articles and is a part of the Instagram management team.

TLL: What is something you want to accomplish through your work with DOY?

JH: I would like make a change in the world of social media surrounding taboo subjects and promote more self-love and care online. I think DOY promotes positivity every day and that is very important to me to show others.

TLL: What is your favorite thing about yourself?

JH: I like how patient of a person I am; it takes me far in life. Although I am my toughest critic, I am very patient when it comes to other people and try to be kind in everything I do. I am learning to be kinder to myself more and I am proud of myself for trying to be better.

TLL: Do you have a personal mantra you subscribe to?

JH: “Never give up.” That’s definitely what keeps me going. I know as a person and musician, if I keep working hard and even if things don’t come easy at first things will change by never giving up. Eventually I will achieve my goal or see progress in what I do!

Meet Tristen Buckley , a blogger turned social media manager for Dream on Youth.

TLL: What is something you want to accomplish through your work with DOY?

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TB: I honestly just want to continue to spread positivity and raise awareness on issues that matter to me, like body positivity, female empowerment, and mental health!

TLL: What is your favorite thing about yourself?

TB: My favorite thing about myself physically is my hair, since it has taken me such a long time to embrace my natural curls. Personality wise, my favorite thing about myself is my empathy towards others and my passion to create a world where mental health truly matters!

TLL: Do you have a personal mantra you subscribe to?

TB: I live by the quote, “You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.”

Meet Saman Alibhai, a marketing intern for Dream on Youth.

TLL: What is something you want to accomplish through your work with DOY?

SA: I want to be able to spread as much joy and positivity I can due to the amount of negativity in the world currently. DOY is the place to leave a positive impact in the environment around me. Also, this is a platform for me to introduce worldwide issues that aren’t spoken on, which I am passionate about.