Erica White

“As someone who has spent the last six years surrounding themselves with the iBELIEVE Foundation, it is easy to take my words in a biased manner. However, when speaking to any previous delegate of this organization, I’m sure they would all agree with the following sentence: the iBELIEVE Foundation helped shape me into the person that I am today. 

I grew up in a small town in Scioto County, Ohio — a place where hometown pride was forced into your head from the moment you learned how to walk. But, I never felt that connection. I never felt like I belonged there, and I even often found myself resenting it. That all changed when I attended my first iBELIEVE Summer Workshop in 2018. That week of workshop made me fall in love with Appalachia, and brought a newfound fondness for the town I had previously held a grudge against.” 

“My name is Erica White, and I am currently a third-year student at Ohio University. Being a delegate and a staff member with the iBELIEVE Foundation allowed me to find a passion for working with Appalachian youth, leading me to major in Psychology here at OU. Through iBELIEVE, I have been able to strengthen and build skills in communication, relationship-building, creativity, and problem-solving. The abilities that this organization instills within its delegates have led me to a wide amount of opportunities. During high school, it allowed me to step into leadership roles within my community and assist in planning events that allowed me to give back to the town that I had grown up in, something that I had never thought I’d do until attending iBELIEVE. Now, my skill set has grown even more vast due to my affiliation with this organization. 

Now as my college career draws to an end, I credit my time with iBELIEVE for being the reason I have allowed myself to jump into opportunities with a heart full of confidence and gratitude. Each time that I am presented with an offer, I thank this foundation for pushing me outside my comfort zone and challenging me to take a positive risk. The iBELIEVE foundation has opened many doors for me, from volunteering within Children Services to being given an internship opportunity in Ireland this coming summer to study Child Psychology with a select group of peers. Before attending iBELIEVE, I would have never even considered the thought of going to another state by myself - let alone another country, but my years of involvement with this organization has allowed me to grasp each opportunity with an excited spirit, eager to learn and do more. 

Each lesson and challenge that iBELIEVE has presented me led me to where I am today, pushing me to always be growing into the best version of myself that I can be and embracing the ever-changing world around me with strength and perseverance. Every staff member and delegate I have had the chance to meet has left an outstanding impact on me, molding me into the person I have always wanted to be. After my graduation, I intend to enroll in a doctoral program in Psychology, with a specialization in children and adolescents. I hope to return to the Appalachian region and continue to spread the magic that iBELIEVE has instilled within me to others who may not have the same opportunity to attend a workshop themselves. This foundation helped me find myself, it helped me grow more comfortable in my own skin and now when people ask, I leap at the chance to tell them that I am proudly from Appalachia. 

I could go on for ages about this organization, but I have always been a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. If you find yourself with the opportunity to attend an iBELIEVE event, take it. Talk to the delegates, talk to the staff members, talk to the directors. The iBELIEVE Foundation fills each of its delegates with such a spark of light and leaves them brim full of motivation to inspire and do good, that it will overflow into you, leaving the true impact and magic that encapsulates this organization.”