Expressions had the opportunity to talk with Ciara J. Evans, founder of Daring to Succeed. We got a chance to talk about her journey starting her organization and what inspired her. Here’s what she had to say:
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Ciara is a 20-year-old who attends Morgan State University in Maryland. She is majoring in screenwriting and animation. Ciara enjoys community service, talking to the next generation about their future, dance, and pretty much anything in the visual arts world.
What inspired you to pursue screenwriting?
When Ciara first thought about her future she knew she wanted to do something related to the arts. It started off with dance, moved to being an actress, and on to dramaturg, which are script editors. Ciara then got interested in cinematography but her professor actually encouraged her to take up screenwriting because she had a natural talent for it. Her writing was funny and her peers made that same assessment and also encouraged her to pursue screenwriting which she is doing now.
Tell us about Daring to Succeed? How did this all start?
Daring to Succeed has been something that came from the bottom up. The idea first came to Ciara when she started doing pageantry. Her instructors told her that she needed to create a platform. So she started thinking about what she’s passionate about, which includes helping the homeless and working with kids. So she launched a program called “Food Insecurity” that would focus on talking to kids about eating healthy, dancing, and about their own wellbeing. The Vice-Principal at Kenwood Academy connected her with an elementary school and that was the first school she worked with on what she then called “Dance to Succeed”. As she got older Ciara realized that she wanted to help youth with a lot more than releasing through dance, and evolved her organization to what is now, “Daring to Succeed.”
What’s the goal with Daring To Succeed? Next steps?
Ciara wants DTS to be an organization that helps youth through mentoring opportunities, including applying for scholarships and college prep. She’d also like for DTS to go nationwide and has established DTS Chicago, DTS Baltimore, and is looking forward to DTS Dallas, and more. To date, she’s reached over 150 youth and wants this number to grow substantially. Ciara also wants to bring on more volunteers to assist in teaching youth different programs.
What advice do you have for teens who are thinking about starting their own initiative?
The advice that Ciara gives is to always have a checklist. This helps you stay productive and plan your day. You can do this through a planner, your phone, or any other app. Write down what you have to get done for your day. Ciara goes even further and includes a specific time by which all her tasks need to be completed. Also, if you don’t give it 100% then you can’t walk away, if you do give it 100%, you can walk away but try again later.
Where can people follow you and or get more information?
People can get more information at Daringtosucceed.org. They can also keep up with Daring to Succeed on their Instagram @daringtosucceed. If you’re interested in following Ciara check out her Instagram @ciaraaa.j.
We thank Ciara for joining us for this interview. She had a lot to share with our followers and offered some great advice that we all could use. Make sure to check out the interview here.