I Am Grateful For...

In this interview, Bria shares her journey in understanding her identity and culture. Although she grew up in the Bronx, Bria wrestled with the many connotations that came with "being black". She wanted to know where she fit in, especially when it came to the people she spent most of her time with versus her Jamaican-American roots. Between her colleagues, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., and African American Studies classes sparked her desire to learn more. Bria is such a great role model when it comes to looking past stigmas and stereotypes. Bria believes in making room for the beautiful journey of embracing who we are and where we're from. Help us keep the podcast going by supporting us at www.iamgratefulforpodcast.com/donate.

So thankful to get to interview my cousin Mark! Mark truly reminded me of the impact we can have on one another when we build one another up. In this interview, he openly shares about those who believed in him, even when he didn't have the grades or drive, and how it helped him become the man he his today. Despite 2020's hardships, Mark shares the lessons he learned about the importance of taking care of our mental health and his faith. Help us keep the podcast going by supporting us at www.iamgratefulforpodcast.com/donate.

Bryce shares his journey and experience at Tuskegee University, an HBCU (Historically Black College and University). He shares about the stereotypes, opportunities, highlights, and even the dark moments that sparked a depth in his relationship with God. He also shares his passions of music, mental health, and giving back to young black males through mentorship. Please check out Bryce's EP The Deep End on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/album/5Amc1QqlZTAMu5wHzyqrLr?si=TYLe9hE3STGI9kGvfF99OA&utm_source=copy-link) at and follow him on Instagram at @brycebigsmooth87 (https://www.instagram.com/brycebigsmooth87/) Music: Ketsa and Scott Holmes

We have felt the difficulty in 2020 for sure... In a powerful, funny, and insightful experience that we will never forget, tune in to learn from Ron Sachs of Sachs Media (https://sachsmedia.com) about what helped him get through this year and what he sees as the silver lining in it all. We were blessed to have Ron join us to not only share his life, but also all about Sachs Media and America's Newspaper's recently launched campaign Share Gratitude 2020 (https://sharegratitude2020.com) as an effort to help us all take a look into our hearts and to reflect on what we are grateful for, despite how challenging 2020 has been. The campaign will be running through January 2021. Please check out ShareGratitude2020.com (https://sharegratitude2020.com) and post what you are grateful for! Music: Ketsa and Scott Holmes

A few years ago, while in Dubai and India, Josh's experience sparked an abrupt paradigm shift in his life. He openly shares how the personal visit to these beautiful places changed his mindset and view of America and his relationships. Please take advantage of these valuable insights about gratitude and stereotypes that he shares while you have the chance. Music by Ketsa and Scott Holmes

Interviewing Mr. Hadley was a powerful, eye-opening experience. We enjoyed his bright and pleasant personality and amazing ability to recall the facts in his history. He shares his experience growing up on a plantation, joining the military, finding his wife, and how the museum came about. Get ready for a surprising and funny interview that we both believe you will enjoy. Music by Ketsa and Scott Holmes

2020 has been a multilayered year. Finding positive media is challenging, and our worldview can grow dim. If accepting reality and focusing on gratitude is a desire of yours, you are in the right place. In this opening episode of I Am Grateful For Season II, we hear from Hope Lavender and her husband, Mitchell. Hope started IAGF with the help of friends at Syracuse University back in 2016. The goal: to promote positivity through listening and understanding people's stories. Something we all could use more of today. Hope discusses the origins of IAGF, the challenges, her feelings about 2020, the Pandemic, this season's theme of #CelebratingBlackLives, and exciting plans. Look out for the Episode dropping tomorrow at noon! Music by Scott Holmes and Ketsa

In high school, Kat struggled with an identity crisis that led to hanging with the wrong crowds, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders. Despite the love for her family, back then she struggled with feeling unloved and alone. But she chose to find her identity through music, the choir, Reggae, and Christianity. Her sister introduced her to music by inviting her to come sing alongside her Reggae band. This is where Kat began finding her confidence. At FSU, she also made the decision to leave behind the bad memories of her hometown and form new ones with other Christians. Kat decided to make the commitment to get dreadlocks and pursue music, two of the best decisions of her life. She learned to accept her parents' advice to stay in school but now she will be studying Entrepreneurship at FSU to help her become her own boss! Kat is creative, a positive force that attracts great people, and extremely talented! I am so grateful for her outlook of gratitude helping develop into the confident and loving woman she is today.

Mitchell, my sweet and supportive husband, was currently my fiancé when we did this interview. He is a campus minister at Crossway Church in Tallahassee, with aspirations to become a church leader and author. I am grateful for how Mitchell wrestled to find his identity to become the man is today. Being the youngest of four and navigating his relationship with God, were not always easy for him, but they have helped him find his true self. When Mitchell has a hard time being grateful, he reflects on his day to bring him back to a place of gratitude! As you listen to this interview, try thinking back through your day and identify what you are grateful for as you listen.

I had the honor of meeting Quameiha through a scholarship program called the Posse Foundation. She is definitely one of those people who when you meet her for the first time, you can immediately connect with her. I am grateful for her friendship but also the powerful example of love, joy, loyalty, passion, and talent that she exudes. These very same characteristics of Quameiha flow through everything she does as filmmaker, poet, actor, and her amazing skill at oration and theater performance. But one of the most impactful things about Quameiha has always been her love for her family. I remember sitting in her dorm room looking at pictures of her family, friends, and especially her mother; how her face with glow with pride and excitement that made you feel personally connected with each loved one. Unfortunately, halfway through our college career, at 21, Quameiha lost her mom…and we all mourned alongside her. Yet, Quameiha did not let this damper her spirit. Her gratitude makes her shine even brighter. Quameiha is grateful to have come into this world through her mother…A strong, amazing woman who loved, guided, and instilled greatness and value into Quameiha and anyone else all around her. I’m grateful for how Quameiha holds onto the quote “The light of a man extends past their death”. It is such a great reminder that we do have an impact on those around us. This inspires me to live in such a way that people will see the light in me far after I am gone. I am also grateful for Quameiha’s resilient energy and how she uses the lessons she learned from her mother to face the good, the bad, and the ugly. Don’t miss out what her mother taught her and what motivates Quameiha to be who she is and where she today.

Kehinde was diagnosed with Lupus at age 11 and by 8th grade, she had a kidney transplant! Despite fatigue, struggle to wake up or even get out of bed, she fights through the "come and go" of the symptoms. Kehinde has wrestled with this fight for more than half of her life. Yet, she has learned the importance of to taking care of her health by eating and drinking water. Kehinde is grateful to God, despite the diagnosis, to be alive! She does not let Lupus rob her of her joy. Her joy is contagious and she does a great job of spreading it to others. She believes joy is defined as seeking gratitude in ANY situation. She also believes joy is realizing that God is eternal and she is grateful for what she can look forward to with God! I am grateful for Kehinde's joy, humility, and passion. I love being around her and I can proudly say most people would agree. Kehinde wants to encourage others that they can fight negativity despite the situations that arise and choose gratitude.

Kavell’s always had a dream to go to college and get out of the projects of Queens, NY. In 2012, he reached that dream and got accepted to Syracuse University. But after struggling with his classes and his GPA had dropped, he received a letter saying that he would not be able to return to Syracuse. But he was given a second chance to return under the condition that he would work hard and bring up his GPA. Kavell achieved his goal and graduated from Syracuse University and is now working in a field he loves. Kavell is grateful for internships that led to the financial independence to help his mom, the people who have helped and supported him to get where he is today, and the financial aid he was given to be able to go to college.  Despite the reality that the blessings in life could be taken away, Kavell has learned to truly appreciate and cherish what he is given. I am grateful for Kavell’s love, joy, and humility to think about the value in everything that he has been given in life. Kavell’s hardships have not limited him, they have propelled him to be more grateful. I hope that Kavell’s therapeutic act of sharing what he is grateful for will motivate you to share with others, as well.

Davetta's family upbringing, close friendships, and environment where pretty rough growing up. Despite not having a close relationship with her dad, Davetta has grew in her gratitude for her friends and their father’s teaching her things like perfecting her shot or how to drive a car. But unexpectedly, a close friend committed suicide high school and had a hard time coping with it. Her community was full of crime and drug trafficking. These circumstance led to depression and her everyday struggle with negativity. After graduating high school, Davetta played college basketball and would workout as a way to cope with the hardships she faced. She constantly wanted to fill the void in her life with school and relationships. Although these things could be good, she realized she needed to put her hope in something stronger. In college, her roommate sister asked her to study the Bible. Davetta learned her about what Jesus went through and how he suffered just as she had, but he persevered. This gave her hope. Davetta is grateful for a second chance, great and long-lasting friendships, her brothers, her passion for sports, and her faith. Davetta inspires me to use the talents we have been given and what we are passionate about, to give back to those in her community and glorify God.

Elaina is a beautiful and humorous New Yorker, who is passionate about family, art, and travel. Even with her New York roots, her family exposed her to travel and it became such huge part of her life. From reading National Geographic to her own personal connection to her culture has inspired her to want to use photojournalism to connect people to others as humans. She’s been on road trips to visit family thought the states and even traveled abroad to Mexico, London, and throughout Europe. Elaina is grateful for how her travels have shaped who she is today and will become. She believes gratitude comes from perspective. Elaina is extremely grateful to see the unconditional love and sacrifice her family made to help her get college. She’s grateful for little things like the beauty in rainy overcast days, mean middle school teachers, and even awkward stages in life. Not everyone has what we have, but Elaina's humility brings light to our commonality in life: we are all people. No matter our experiences in life, we can still find gratitude in what we have been given. I love Elaina, I am grateful for her humor and light-hearted perspective despite difficulties. I learn a lot from her love for family and the arts. I hope she inspires you, as she does for me.

Taiwo was diagnosed with Lupus when she was in sixth grade. It brought weight gain, insecurities, and lack of confidence. But despite the physical limitations that lupus brought, she did not let that stop her from growing in her appreciation for her family, her family, and her faith. In high school, she was in the hospital for a year and even after that she continued to battle more complications. At 17, she had both knees and hips replaced. Despite doctors telling her she may never walk again, Taiwo pushed through so she could achieved her dream of going to AND graduating from college. She is grateful for her mother’s sacrifices to support her, her sister fighting lupus alongside her, and her friends who came every weekend to visit her. She believed that it taught her how to pray and gave her hope that God had a reason for all of it. Taiwo’s gratitude is motivating and inspires me to realize there is no unreachable goal when you have friends, family, and God, to help you get there.

This is my story! I hope sharing this will inspire and encourage you. Despite all that has happened in my life, I am grateful for each event making me into the woman I am today. Please share and repost! #IAmGrateful