Jose-Andres Alegria The Wise Up Girl program is a coaching program for at-risk High School and College aged girls, providing life skills and relationship education content. Scholarships incentivize the girls to stick with and complete the program. Why? Because we want to invest in new leaders.
Dr. Alicia La Hoz’s Story
Dr. Alicia La Hoz’s story is about perseverance and opportunity. Wanting to be a clinical psychologist, Dr. La Hoz did not match with a program towards the end of her program. However, she had sacrificed so much to work towards her goal. She went into debt, went through emotional stress, and spent nights burning the midnight oil. She sacrificed only to be rejected, but sometimes life will slam a door in your face and open up a new one.
Thanks to her advisor at the time, Dr. La Hoz had one last interview. And as if it were meant to be, the program loved her and offered her the position on the spot. (You couldn’t write a better script if you tried.) During this time, Dr. Alicia La Hoz came up with the idea for Family Bridges. Because of Family Bridges, Everyday Owl and Wise Up Girl exist. Dr. La Hoz wanted to create a resource for young individuals and women to access the same privilege she had. She wanted other women to be able to speak into the lives of young women and help them grow and overcome the rejection and obstacles that life throws their way.
Dr. La Hoz’s 3 Lessons Learned In Life
- Have an anchor. Hold fast to something that will help you overcome any obstacles that might deter you. An anchor will ground you in moments when you feel you are drowning. It will hold you steady when life becomes messy and turbulent.
- Surround yourself with voices that can encourage you and lift you. There is no reason to do life alone. Having voices of encouragement can be the difference between preserving and giving up.
- Battle your mind. Negativity is detrimental to personal growth. You can be your worst and harshest critic. Combat those negative thoughts with positive self-talk. If you talk to yourself negatively, then you will soon start to believe it, and those words are nothing but demoralizing.
Key Takeaway
Confidence doesn’t happen overnight. It is something you nurture through growth and experiences. Fear is paralyzing. Don’t let fear dictate your life. Instead, you should push past it. Grab whatever opportunities are in front of you and make the best of them. If you can push past those fears, confidence will soon follow. Rejection hurts. But take a step back, take a deep breath, and remember that rejection isn’t the end of the world. And when life becomes overwhelming, take it step by step. How do you eat a whole elephant? One bite at a time.
We’ve got you covered with scholarships to help you finish school, tips from entrepreneurs and coaches to help you make, follow, and stick to your plan, workshops to shed light on relationships, communication, and conflict resolution, and blogs to help you figure out this adulting thing. Best of all, it’s free. There are some requirements to be eligible for the scholarships, but nothing you can’t handle. (Check out the guidelines here.)
