“Find a space where you are celebrated.”

Our recent flashchat panel encouraged students & alumnae of Our Sisters’ School to dream big!

O n April 12, DreamWakers teamed up with Our Sisters’ School in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to bring together a panel of inspirational Black DreamSpeakers, highlighting the stories of powerful women leaders and showcasing diverse paths young leaders can explore for their futures.

Our Sisters’ School (OSS) is an independent, tuition-free, non-sectarian middle school whose mission is to educate and inspire economically disadvantaged girls from the New Bedford area. OSS is committed to continuing its support of each young woman who attends their school long after they’ve matriculated. One way they follow through on this commitment is by curating meaningful events for their alumnae.

For this special evening flashchat, current OSS students and alumnae submitted questions for three DreamSpeaker panelists: Arianna Long, Observational Astronomer & Ph.D. Student; Lauren Alexander, Senior Communications Manager & Health Lead at Twitter; and Precious Williams, Entrepreneur and Founder & CEO at Perfect Pitches by Precious.

Moderated by OSS alumna Alejandra Mendez and DreamWakers’ own Celete Kato, the panel shared perspectives and advice that resonated far beyond the OSS community.

Check out below some of our favorite highlights from the flashchat!

DreamSpeakers Precious Williams & Lauren Alexander discuss obstacles they have overcome as Black women.

DreamSpeaker Arianna Long speaks to the value of mentorship.

Panelists leave us with advice to take away from this conversation.

Our Sisters’ School empowers girls to step into the future with valuable life skills and a mindset of achievement and excellence by providing a safe, supportive, and academically challenging environment. DreamWakers is proud to partner with OSS and educators across the U.S. to help students see what they can be.

We are grateful to DreamSpeakers Precious, Lauren, and Arianna, as well as Alejandra, for generously giving their time and energy to this conversation. Special thanks to Amy Sanders, OSS’s Director of Secondary School Placement and Graduate Support, who demonstrates the passion of our community to support students on an empowered pathway to success!

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