“Born to Shine”: Aldine ISD Youth Summit Inspires Sixth-Grade Girls

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“You are beautiful. You are smart. You matter. You are enough.”

Those were just a few of the affirmations shared with Aldine ISD sixth-grade girls during the Aldine ISD Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE) Youth Empowerment Summit, on March 11, themed “Born to Shine”.

The event uplifted young girls at a pivotal stage in their development, giving them opportunities to connect with strong female leaders and peers from other middle schools while building new friendships.

Superintendent Dr. LaTonya Goffney encouraged the students to embrace their confidence and support one another.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to meet our girls from across the district,” Goffney said. “You are sixth graders, and you have been shining since the day you were born. This moment for you all to be here together is not an accident.”

She encouraged the girls to continue uplifting one another by smiling and offering simple compliments to their peers.

The summit began with students writing and exchanging inspirational affirmations, demonstrating the power of positive words. Throughout the day, Aldine ISD district leaders spoke about healthy decision-making, the impact of words and the importance of building positive relationships. The conversations encouraged students to strengthen their voices and develop skills that will support success in school and beyond.

“We know when you speak, you can either speak positivity over yourself or you can speak negativity over yourself,” said Latashia Abrams, executive director of the FACE Department. “When people are encouraging you and giving you positive words, it’s because we’ve all been in sixth grade, we’ve all been in your shoes, and we’ve all experienced self-doubt.”

Students also heard messages about building confidence and self-worth, encouraging them to recognize their unique strengths. The summit fostered leadership skills through goal-setting, vision board planning, and personal growth activities, designed to help students see themselves as future leaders.

Guest speaker Dr. Jinneh Dyson speaks with students during the Aldine ISD Youth Empowerment Summit.

Guest speaker Dr. Jinneh Dyson, a professor, leadership communication strategist, and founder of The ThinkUp Group, a leadership development and communication training firm, traveled from Dallas early that morning just to speak with students, an opportunity she said she could not miss.

“I got up at 2 a.m. to be here because I didn’t want to miss this moment with you,” Dyson told the students. “The words I heard you saying, ‘I am bold. I am confident. I am enough,’ are powerful. Even on the days when things don’t feel easy, you have to remember what’s already inside of you.”

Dyson encouraged the girls to think beyond the common questions that adults often ask about their future.

“People always ask, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ she said. “But a better question is, ‘What problem do you want to solve?’ When you know the problem you want to solve in the world, you can become anything you need to be.”

She also shared her personal journey, explaining how life challenges helped shape her success and reminding the girls of the value they already possess.

“I grew up in a small town and faced a lot of obstacles, but I learned that being different wasn’t something to hide,” Dyson said. “Being different is your competitive advantage. You don’t need a seat at the table, you are the table. Your voice matters. Your dreams matter. You were born to shine.”

For students in attendance, the experience was both meaningful and empowering.

Aulani Kirksey, (in yellow) a sixth-grade student at Teague Middle School, raises her hand to participate during the Aldine ISD Youth Empowerment Summit.

Aulani Kirksey, a sixth grader at Teague Middle School, said the summit helped her stop doubting herself.

“It was a fun experience, and I learned that I am enough and to never let anyone tell me otherwise,” she said.

Dalianah Valenzuela, a student at Grantham Academy, speaks during the Aldine ISD Youth Empowerment Summit.

Dalianah Valenzuela of Grantham Academy said the summit had a powerful impact on her as well.

“I learned to love myself even through the hard moments and to believe that I can accomplish anything as long as I don’t give up on my dreams,” said Valenzuela.

In addition to the speakers, students also heard from senior student ambassadors during a lunch-and-learn panel, where they reflected on their time as sixth graders, shared advice about building confidence and discussed how they are preparing for life after high school as graduation approaches.

The summit left students encouraged to embrace their potential, use their voices with confidence and remember that they were, as the theme declared, born to shine.

See more photos from the Aldine ISD Youth Empowerment Summit here.