Being a freshman in college can be overwhelming. For many students, it is the first time that they are by themselves in a brand new environment.
Blaire Ashton, 20, knows this first-hand and it is why she decided to start The Sister Project. Ashton is a pre-social work major at Florida A&M University originally from Springfield, Va., whose family moved to Pensacola. As she was touring colleges, she came across FAMU and knew that it was the school for her.
“I had never heard of or seen FAMU before, but I trusted God and went with that decision,” Ashton said.
As a first-generation Rattler, she decided to get involved in volunteering, mentoring, painting, cooking and makeup to leave her mark on the school by starting a program that provides first-year and transfer students the strength, courage and confidence to be the best versions of themselves.
“Blaire truly has a heart of gold,” Kasia Janey, a FAMU student, said. “The kindness she shows others is genuine and she always looks out for others. She is very passionate about extending a helping hand whenever she can.”
During her freshman year, she felt like not everyone had direct access to someone who was able to be a mentor to them. She was one of those students. So she decided to start a program where everyone has access to someone who will motivate them to be active on campus and influence them to do their best while on their academic journey at FAMU.
“I know Blaire wanted to start this program to not only help out girls coming into college to have an easy transition and also be that support system that they all need while transitioning into young adulthood,” Quinyce Leshell, also a FAMU student, said.
So far she has hosted events such as survival guides, girl talks and orange table talks. All of these events are geared toward young women and designed to help them feel more comfortable and prepared for life on campus.
“This is my first of many endeavors on campus, as COVID and family issues didn’t allow me to flourish on campus as I would’ve liked,” Ashton said. “Now that I’ve returned, you will definitely see a lot more impact from me.”
After graduation, Ashton hopes to practice social work in underprivileged Black communities and hopes that will take over her spot in running The Sister Project.
For more information on The Sister Project, follow _the.sister.project on Instagram.