GREENSBORO, N.C. — Someone over the years may have said to you "be great" in some capacity whether at a job or playing a sport or maybe you didn't. There are so many brown-skinned young boys and girls who have never heard the words "be great," until they crossed paths with Ciandress Jackson, the founder of 'Be Great Foundation.'
Cyria McKoy is one of those individuals. She isn't your typical 9-year-old. She's smart. She's curious. She's an app developer.
Cyria's knowledge comes from an influential source-- Ciandress Jackson.
Jackson launched this non-profit in 2020 to give STEM education to low-income, minority teens who are not college-bound and often left astray.
"Seeing people that I care about struggle really was the impotence for me starting this and the struggle isn't necessarily their fault," Jackson said. "People are working two, three jobs and still trying to make ends meet."
Jackson has a passion for change. This passion sparked, during her college years.
"When I got into University of Virginia (UVA), I had one of my best friends who was a white male tell me that I only got in because of affirmative action, so I carried that around for my first two years at UVA," Jackson said.
Then, one class shifted her perspective.
"It was an African-American studies class I forget the name of it," Jackson said. "We learned about great figures in African-American history all the way from Civil Rights all the way back to Nile, Kush and Olmecs civilization, and learn the brilliance that is inherent in all people, but a lot of times we feel like it's not in us as African American people."
Jackson says being great is in her student's genes and she reminds them of that often.
"We want to help kids be great and achieve their greatness and I believe there is a genius within every kid," Jackson said. "We just need to tap into that."
After 15 years in tech as a software consultant, Jackson says it was time she used her knowledge to help people in her neighborhood. She's also ready to expand to help more kids excel.
"Similar to the model of the Boys and Girls Club or the YMCA how you know exactly what you're going to get and what to expect when you go to those spaces, we want to have 'Be Great Foundation' or 'Be Great' center, be a place where you can go, learn about these technologies, develop your aptitudes and get your certifications and all of those things," Jackson said.