Cra-Z Dreamer of the Month: Ryanne Foster
Sometimes you meet a person who has a light… an aura that glows softly with goodness and compassion. It’s not forced or calculated but sewn into the fabric of who they are… as much a part of them as their eyes, mouth, hands, and feet.
The first time I met Ryanne was at a career fair at the local high school. We were promoting our Cra-Z-Dreams life skills programs and she asked for some information. She later attended one of our Love Yourself First workshops for girls. Her warm spirit was undeniable and immediately stood out to our instructors. We absolutely loved having her in class because she affected the energy and helped put the other girls at ease as we talked about self-esteem, self-love, and empowerment. We later decided that she would be an excellent choice as our May feature student of the month.
Introducing Ryanne
One of seven kids, Ryanne has four sisters and two brothers. She is not the oldest, nor the youngest, but “somewhere in the middle.” She is in the eighth grade and attends Lanier Middle School. Though her best subject is Language Arts, her favorite class is Science.
Ryanne would best describe herself as intelligent, caring, and creative, and I completely agree. You don’t have to speak to her long to realize she is extremely bright and cares a lot about helping others. Some fun facts about Ryanne include:
- Favorite song: “Read All About It” by Emeli Sande
- Favorite authors: Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison & Joan Byers
- Favorite book: The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou
- Favorite poem: “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou
- Favorite color: Neon green
Vision & Life Goals
Given her kind spirit, it comes as no surprise that Ryanne wants to be a teacher. Right now, she is focusing on making exceptional grades so she can get into an Ivy League school. Her goal is to attend Yale, Harvard, or Princeton as an Education major with a minor in Literature. She also enjoys writing and plans on becoming an author. “I write LOTS of poetry!” she says. “My favorite authors are Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison. I love their ability to express emotion.” She also believes they are great role models and is inspired by their ability to be resilient in the face of adversity. “Like them, I want to be able to overcome obstacles and write about it.”
Ryanne’s vision for her future includes traveling to Paris and working in a daycare so she can get experience working with kids. In addition, she already has one mission trip under her belt, and would love to go on another. She also wants to sit on the Board of Education for Congress to help give all children equal opportunities for a quality education.
A Shining Light for the Future
As you can see, Ryanne is a girl with a vision, a plan, and a mission. She is bold with the confidence and courage to aim high and strive for greatness. Even more impressive than her drive and ambition is her heart, which shines through when you hear the reasons behind her life goals. Her “why” is never about herself, but about helping others. In a day and age when so many of our youth are screaming out for attention, sometimes by toxic means, it is so refreshing and encouraging to meet a young lady whose focus is empowering and uplifting others. Ryanne is the type of person that gives us all hope, and we are proud to have her in our Cra-Z-Dreams family. I have no doubt that her compassion, intelligence, and creative mind will make her not only an exceptional teacher and writer, but a “Phenomenal Woman” and human being.
Cra-Z-Dreams Inspired 