01 Jul Spotlight: Rebel’s Most Recent Grad!

Shaniya first heard about Rebel Ventures from her school counselor in 9th grade and started working at Rebel the summer before 10th grade through Work Ready’s Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN). Almost three years later, Shaniya is still on the Rebel team and has recently graduated from West Philadelphia High School. She will be attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the fall. In her time at Rebel, Shaniya has worked on the sales, communications, cinematography, and graphic design team, and she has managed inventory. As Shaniya finishes out her last summer at Rebel, we want to highlight her time at Rebel with this Q&A and wish her the best for the future. 

“Rebel helped me out a lot, and it was a great journey. To the incoming Rebels, you will have fun & learn a lot!” ~Shaniya 

Q & A with Shaniya

Q: How did you start working at Rebel? 

A: It started when I was back in high school in 9th grade. My counselor asked me what I was interested in, and I told her that I love working with kids, I love to cook, and I am just a happy person. She sent me Rebel’s way through Work Ready’s PYN.

Q: How do you think you have grown since you started working at Rebel?

A: Since I have started working at Rebel, I have grown a lot in my public speaking skills, writing emails skills, professionalism and cooking skills. All of the skills that I have today, Rebel has helped me grow. 

Q: What was your experience like traveling to new places with Rebel? 

A: My experience traveling to new places was fun. I had never traveled before to Baltimore or to our SNAPA event, where Rebel promotes products, like the crumbles, to different school districts. It was fun, and I learned a lot. 

Q: How have mentors impacted your experience? 

A: The mentors I have had at Rebel have impacted me a lot. To this day, I still keep in contact even with mentors who no longer work at Rebel. They have helped me a lot with everything from college advice to opening up as a person. I am not a very open person, and they helped me a lot with that. I plan to keep in contact with my Rebel mentors, as I go onto college. Many of them are in college, so it will be helpful to be able to talk to them. 

Q: What have been some of your favorite memories with Rebel? 

A: Bonding with all the friends I have made through Rebel has been one of my favorite parts of working here. Cooking in the kitchen and going to Dorney Park have been some of my best memories. 

Q: What have been some of your favorite dishes that you have cooked in the kitchen with Rebel? 

A: Salmon over rice!

Q: Are there any skills you have learned at Rebel that you think will be helpful for the future? 

A: I think public speaking, sales skills, and finance skills will all be useful to me in the future. 

Q: What are your plans and hopes for the future? 

A: My plan for the future is to be a nurse, that is what I am going to college for. Nursing has always been a childhood dream of mine. I love to help people, and I love to see people happy. Overall, in the future, I hope to be successful, financially stable, and live a happy, good life. I also want to keep in contact with Rebel and see their progress!

(Interview between Shaniya Brown and Alisa Ghura on 06/30/20)