Dr. Sylvia Wilson remembers a time when she, like many Milwaukee children growing up with very little, struggled to understand what they could achieve.
"I've had to overcome a lot of personal barriers, internal barriers, of what I thought I was, what I thought was accessible to me, what may not be accessible to me because of who I was, and because of where I came from," said Wilson.
Her first realization, of what could be, was in fifth grade, she said, when a teacher saw her writing skills and told her she was gifted.
That nudge, one of many throughout her primary school years, inspired a path in academia. And years later, with her husband, she founded MKEGRIND.
"There's a lot of fear around what's available to us, what's not accessible, and I think because of that fear we downgrade our own abilities and what we're capable of," said Wilson.
Founded in 2013, MKEGRIND offered teens mentoring and business skills to help young people "discover the power that's in them," according to Wilson.
Like those who encouraged her and pushed her to tap into her own potential, Wilson has striven to do the same for others. In addition to GRIND, she joined Teens Grow Greens as a program director, spending six years there and leaving in 2022. The non-profit teaches youth skill-building and leadership.
GRIND, Wilson said, took a pause during the pandemic, a time she used to focus more on her family. Last fall, however, MKEGRIND reemerged, still with a focus on human development but with entrepreneurship programs targeting adults.
"It felt full circle for me, personally, because I feel like my own mother, if she would've had some additional support, and additional training and some additional learning opportunities, it would've really helped," said Wilson.
Next month, MKEGRIND is expanding its courses online to reach more people. You can find out about their programs on their website.
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