We had the good fortune of connecting with Larissa Jean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Larissa, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?

Hello! My name is Larissa Dayana Jean. I give God the glory for each and every day that I am able to steward the vision of my business, the Gift Center. I would say that the idea for my business began thirteen years ago, while I was a graduate student in Bible college at Beulah Heights University. In the summer of 2011, I took Organizational Leadership with one of my absolute favorite professors, Dr. Bruce Tucker. The topic for our final paper that summer was “If you could lead any organization, what would it be?” I remember telling God that summer, “Lord, if there was any organization that you would allow me to lead, it would be a school.” From the time I was four years of age, I knew that I wanted to teach. The Lord began to make it very plain as the years progressed that the mountain of Education was my sphere of influence.

In 2014, God opened a door for me to serve as the International Baccalaureate and Gifted Coordinator for the Clarke County School District in Athens, Georgia. When I learned that gifted students from diverse cultural background at my school were underrepresented in the AP Program and Advanced Level course at the school, I established and led the Gifted Minorities Achieving Initiative which provided support for culturally and linguistically diverse students and their families with the academic, social, and emotional support that is unique to this demographic of gifted students. This experience was not only a powerful opportunity to be an agent of change in the field of education, but God used it to spark a new passion in my heart to lead and shepherd the next generation of Christ followers from all cultural backgrounds because talent is found in all cultural groups!

Every unique experience in the classroom and every interaction with my diverse students and parents were the building blocks that God was using for my business. On August 3, 2016, while driving home from work on Highway 316, the Lord dropped in my heart: “The Gift Center: Your gift will make room for you.” Proverbs 18:16 is the foundational scripture for my business. At that moment, I knew that God had conceived the idea for the school that I prayed about leading five years ago in Bible college. As God began downloading the blueprint for the Gift Center throughout the next two years, I remember Him telling me specifically that the Gift Center would not be a “traditional” school. He told me that this school would provide unique services for families with children in the homeschool, public, and private school sector. However, it was not until the Global Pandemic of 2020 that the Gift Center was birthed!

As parents and scholars from all backgrounds were now forced to do remote learning, this was the door that God opened for me to be able to reach out and connect with parents about their pain points and needs for their scholars in the areas of mentorship, college and career readiness, and leadership development. The Gift Center was birthed in August of 2020. This 21st Century Leadership Academy was birthed to equip gifted high school scholars leaders on how to discover their gifts, sharpen their gifts, operate in their gifts, and to steward their gifts for the glory of God!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I consider myself as a multi-passionate individual! I have been an educator of the Spanish language for over 15 years. I have been certified in Gifted Education for the last decade. I am equally passionate about being a champion for gifted learners from under-represented cultural and linguistic groups, while molding them into the 21st century leaders we need!

In addition to my love and passion for teaching and leading, I am a published author, an ordained minister, and a dancing preacher. I love being able to teach and preach God’s Word, and help people to see the gifts, natural abilities, and strengths they already possess to be everything they were created to be. In my role as the Founder and CEO of the Gift Center, I am grateful to pull from all of these unique strengths to equip the next generation of 21st century leaders.

As look back over my life, I see how God was intricately weaving every experience, every season, every low place, every challenge, setback, delay, and every victory to intertwine at this current season of my life as a Kingdom entrepreneur. The Gift Center is definitely my life’s work and part of God’s assignment for my life to equip, educate, and empower the next generation of gifted kingdom leaders. At the age of 19, I received my first prophetic word that God would use me to lead a lot of young people. To see what God is doing through the Gift Center is a reminder of that promise nearly 20 years ago.
My greatest joy is to see young people discover their identity in Christ, and help them steward their God given gifts so that they can impact their unique mountain of influence.

The Gift Center passionately helps each cohort of 9th-12th grade scholars discover their gift, sharpen their gift, operate in their gift, and steward their gift for the glory of God. The Gift Center Leadership Academy, our year long leadership school for 9th & 10th grade scholars, trains our gifted learners with 10 months of leadership development, mentorship, and college and career readiness coaching. Through the Gift Center Consulting services, 11th & 12th grade scholars receive individualized college and career coaching, assistance with scholarships, resume building, internships, and the college admission process.

Everyone has been given a gift. There is a grace for your race! The earlier a young person understands this reality, the sooner they can get in alignment with their God given assignment!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many amazing places in the Metro Atlanta area that makes this home for me. I believe that if you work hard, you should spa hard! I love the Chateau Elan! This is by far my favorite get way for rest, rejuvenation, reflection, and time to recharge. In the last few years, I have learned the gift of rest! Therefore, the gift of relaxation is one of my top places I would take my best friend who was visiting.

I am also very creative and love the arts! The Fox Theatre, the High Museum of Art, and the Georgia Museum of Art would be next on my list to fuel and feed the creative soul.

Next on the itinerary would be the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Gardens, in my opinion, are absolutely stunning. I love gardens because the Bible starts out with a garden, so I know God loves gardens, too! Spending quality time with friends requires us to slow down, reset, and “stop to smell the roses.” Life can be so fast paced. Gardens have such a calming affect on the heart, mind, and soul as you take in all the beauty of nature.

Finally, one of the best restaurants that I enjoy are Seasons 52, the PeachTree Cafe, The Brunch Apothecary, Bistro off Broad, and Herban Fix. These are the best spots, in my opinion, to reconnect and create beautiful memories in a beautiful ambience with great food and great friends!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I first want to give a HUGE SHOUTOUT to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, from whom all good and perfect gifts flow! He is the strength of my life and my purpose for living. My heart’s desire is to bring Him all the glory through every gift, and through every assignment He has given me to do.

I want to celebrate my parents, Ludsen & Daniella, my siblings, Richardson, Clifford, Rose, and MiMi for their love, support, and encouragement in my life. I want to give a shoutout to my spiritual mother, Kim Griggs, my late spiritual father, Bishop J.G. Kramer, my forever role model, Dr. Yulonda Z. Lewis, my mother in the dance, Apostle Michele Rucker, all my brothers and sisters in Christ! Your prayers, love, support, encouragement, and kingdom friendship have made my life richer and have helped shape who I am today. I also thank God for all of my precious students that I have taught over the span of sixteen years!

And last, but certainly not least, I also want to give a very special shoutout to the phenomenal kingdom scholars and parents of every Gift Center Cohort! It remains my joy, honor, and privilege to serve the next generation of leaders and their outstanding families for God’s glory!

Website: thegiftcenter1816.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegiftcenter1816/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissa-jean-874aa927/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGiftCenter1816

Other: linktr.ee/thegiftcenter

Image Credits
Photo credit for headshot by Mikhaela Slavik Photography.

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