Do you remember the very first step you took toward realizing your dream?
All the thoughts about whether you would succeed or fail?
It’s scary! Sometimes downright terrifying. Yet, one thing is true about that first step… whether it leads to success or a lesson, no progress happens without it.
No matter what walk of life you’re on, your income, or where you call home, if you want change, you have to take that initial step.
One young woman in Liberia, West Africa is living proof of this undeniable truth. She was orphaned and abandoned at a young age. Constantly moving from one place to another left her without feelings of belonging or self-worth.
It was at the point of homelessness and hunger that she decided to take that first step toward something that seemed far out of reach. Wanting to improve herself and her life, she enrolled in University, not knowing how she would pay for it.
Yet the desire for change was so strong that she had nowhere to go but forward. So, she took that first step.
“My first step taken was my first progress made and those words kept me moving strong.”
While working with a volunteer program, she applied for and received a scholarship that allowed her to continue her education. This same program hosted leaders and mentors who spoke to local students. It was there in Liberia that the young woman made a connection with one of the mentors.
Because of this young woman’s courage to take that first step toward a seemingly impossible dream, it not only impacted her own life but the life of someone else. And now, thousands of others will be empowered through education and leadership.
You see, it was this connection made that day which led to the creation of LY2NK Foundation. Leaders Yielding to New Knowledge is all about mentors empowering on-site leaders in impoverished areas. Applying skills of global business leaders to the creation of education for sustainable solutions to everyday problems.
Although she was ‘unwanted’ as a child, Patience now finds belonging as a member of the LY2NK Foundation team. She graduated from University and holds a degree in accounting. She seeks to empower others in her country to achieve their dreams and change their lives… and all because she took the first step.
