I know what you’re thinking… What is Social Society U? Well we spoke to the master mind behind this innovative organization, Sianni Cabello. Cabello is a Hampton University graduate who just as of 2 weeks ago completed her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management with a concentration in Policy and Marketing at Columbia University. She was inspired to start this organization after speaking with a young man at a local Boys and Girls Club who initially revealed to her low expectations for his future. “SocialSocietyU was inspired by a series of events that happened throughout my life. However, there was one event that tipped the scale. I was volunteering at a local boys and girls club and there was a young man who came to participate in my mini shark tank workshop. When he arrived he said, “The only thing I am good at is smoking and partying.”. I personally saw that as a door to keep talking with him & probing his mind to dig deeper, to think critically with his teammates. I tried to take the pressure off of him and shifted that towards him developing ideas and thinking creatively. After our activity was over, he came up to me and said, “Well miss the real thing I want to do in life, is become an actor and a movie director.”
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She went on to say “He was serious, & this showed me that sometimes people don’t need encouragement, but rather the knowledge that they can succeed and they will.” “In short, I was inspired by the need to encourage young men and women to chase their dreams, to find hope again, and to find fulfillment in whatever it is they have decided to put their hand to.”
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Social Society U is a hub of college prep resources. “SocialSocietyU is a hub of college prep resources. That engage and motivate high school students towards finding their purposes. We do what we do through faith, entertainment, college prep workshops, and by providing a taste of college culture. Every year we have our semi-annual event “The Gathering” which is what I like to call a college prep party and symposium. We have a live DJ, college students, universities, vendors, a celebrity panel, and college prep workshops all present to inspire our youth. Some of our past celebrities have included individuals from the NBA, BET, iHeartRadio, Wild n’ Out, & more.”
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This college prep organization is currently active in 2 states and in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. Sianni explains, “SocialSocietyU serves as an online platform with in person events and workshops in our current areas New York, DC, & Virginia. Students can get involved by going online to our website, becoming a part of our mentor/mentee or internship program, by following our social media pages, and/or by participating in our social media activities.”
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“The goal of this platform is to restore dreams and to help students find their purpose. We are a college prep organization, but we provide insight and resources for all routes. For instance, we have interviewed successful business owners who have gone to college and who have not. I want to provide tools for every type of student that comes our way, leaving no one by the wayside,” Said Sianni as the purpose of Social Society U.
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Sianni is passionate about presenting the importance of having faith in students currently enrolled in college. “Our organization is centered on faith – it’s our foundational purpose to bring life into destitute places, to help students find the light again. Jesus has been and was such an integral part in my high school years – that’s who I found my purpose in. With this foundation it’s our mission to help students find their pathways into college or into other paths their heart may desire. We want to build students holistically; I think this is one thing that separates us from other college prep organizations. Plus, we like to have fun, we like for our students to see themselves in our programs and events. We believe that motivation starts within & kids at times need a little fun to work towards the bigger picture.”
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As for fellow Urban Girls who are interested in following in Sianni’s foot steps her advice to you is to ‘Jump out There’! “It does not matter what you think about yourself and your platform. Get everything in order, make a nice marketing package for yourself, and jump out there. In the world only YOU know that you’re a newbie. Put your best foot forward, & build that brand or business.”
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