Aryana Noroozi
Community leader Shirley Coates, her daughter Trina Schneider and granddaughter, Kennedy Schneider engaged in a conversation centered around the importance of education and confidence in career advancement, particularly for young women.
They shared personal experiences about the roles of their mothers and female leaders who helped them build confidence, instilled the importance of feeling seen and heard, and to believe in their own worth. They also discussed the challenges young women face in today’s society and the impact of negative beliefs on self-esteem. As individuals involved in community-based programs, they highlighted community programs and leadership as key to combating negative societal beliefs and empowering women.
Coates is the founder of The California Society of Extraordinary Women, a mentorship program that works directly with young women in the community to close education, achievement and gender gaps by focusing on esteem building, collaboration, financial literacy and college preparation.
As a mother, Coates said it is important to set the right example for your children: a path for success.
“When I always talk about success, it’s not about how much money, it’s really about what kind of human being you are developing,” she said. “That’s a tall order, you are responsible for bringing another human being into the world and want to be sure that they are self-sustainable.”
Coates believes that legacy can be viewed in a number of ways, but personally thinks that “legacy is the type of people that you create and the type of people that you develop from.”
Coates and her daughter, Trina, are comfortable talking about anything. This is a trait that has been passed down to Kennedy.
“There’s nothing that you can’t talk about. I can always say anything, it’s always a safe space,” Kennedy said. “She teaches me that my words matter. I can say what I feel… especially when you’re going into a space and your demographic may not be in there. Just know that just because it’s not in there, you’re still there.”
Trina remarked on her experience as both a mother to Kennedy and daughter to Coates.
“All humans want to be seen,” she said. “If a mother really sees their children, listens to their children, and really helps to develop their emotional intelligence, I think that’s a really good key factor into making sure your kids grow up to be happy.”