There are so many factors that affect how our lives turn out, but one of the most interesting is how our backgrounds give us unique strengths and perspectives that affect who we are as adults. We asked rising stars from the community to tell us about their background and upbringing and how they feel it’s impacted who they are today.

Ian James | Writer and Filmmaker

I was born and raised in a small town in West Virginia, which is a misunderstood state. Films and television often portray it in a less-than-favorable way. That’s why I have made it a large part of my creative identity. The stories I tell are fictional, but I always try to incorporate the characteristics and history of West Virginia that I want people to be aware of. Read more>>

Tracy Lefebvre, MAPP, MAHD | Personal and Professional Growth Coach & ADHD Navigator

Our lived experiences shape who we are, especially when we can reflect. I come from a very rural area in Massachusetts. Growing up in the 70s and 80s was filled with economic hardship. I was a reduced and free lunch kid and received the Pell Grant to assist with college. I spent many years in the shadows of others, growing up as about thirty minutes away was a prosperous college town. As children, we would often get visited by the ‘others’ who came from the college town and assumed and assigned attributes and expectations to us. They had very concrete ideas regarding problems and solutions and did not take the time to understand our community and lived experiences. This experience had many levels of impact on my current day life. As an ICF-certified life coach who works with adults who have ADHD and those who feel stuck, I draw from this experience to take a holistic approach to my client’s needs. We start by reflecting on what attributes and expectations they feel others have assigned to them, including written diagnosis information, and decide whether those societal labels resonate true for them. This assists my clients in shedding the ‘shoulds’ and leading a life that feels more easeful as they can honor their true selves and shift out of autopilot. Read more>>

Janiece Jenkins | Founder of Witness in Color & Artist

I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, California. Being 20 minutes from the heart of LA, the beach, the desert, and the mountains – I grew up in paradise so my upbringing was a unique melting pot of different cultures and activities. I had communities everywhere, whether it was my soccer and track team, my church, or my big family. When I left for college, I never really went back but community remained important to me so I made sure to create or contribute towards it no matter where my Sagitarrius Sun and Mercury took me. Read more>>

Juan Rubén. Ramírez Hernández Ramirez-Hernandez | Violinist, Composer, Conductor and Educator

I was born in Mexico in Madero, Tamaulipas. Born in a musical family, music impacted me since my early childhood My parents introduced me to the compositions of classical composers, as well as to the Mexican folklore and traditional songs. I had music lessons on many instruments. As a teenager, my musical talent was reinforced by many eminent pedagogues at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. I came to the US in 1966. In 1988, I moved to Boston to continue my music studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, concentrating on violin, composition, and orchestral studies with excellent teachers. Music has taken me to many cultural centers in Europe, USA, Mexico and South America. My life has been influenced by many musicians, composers and conductors, especially mentors such as Henryk Szeryng, Leon Barzin, Gunther Schuller and Leonard Bernstein. Read more>>

Kashmiir a/k/a SevenPoundz | Artist/Song Writer

Im originally Born and raised in Brooklyn New York before moving to Charlotte and I can honestly say i tried my best to not put myself in a box by only trying to cater to where im from so I can reach all people with my music. I have influences that stems from Atlanta/Southern rap styles as well as New York rap and find ways to blend it all while staying true to self, I love my Asap Mob and Xaviersobased just as much as I love Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne and Young Thug even some ThreeSixMafia it really also depends on the mood I’m in. Read more>>