Give to fund EMPOWERED mentorships, supplies, trips, and meals
Higher Is Waiting 501(c)(3) was founded by 17-year-old Jayden A. Watkins in Henderson, North Carolina. Higher Is Waiting’s mission is to educate, equip, and empower youth and young adults. The Organization is committed to providing disadvantaged individuals with essential resources, offering mentorship, and hosting programs rooted in moral principles and positive values to foster confidence, personal growth, and community impact.
We serve multiple rural counties, including Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin. We collaborate with churches, shelters, schools, and community partners to provide tangible support to young people. We connect teens to scholarships, internships, jobs, and new opportunities. EMPOWERED is a safe, youth-led mentorship community where teens can be themselves, grow in confidence, and build leadership skills. EMPOWERED provides mentorship sessions, leadership training, career exploration field trips, and Friday night empowerment meetups that support mental health, personal growth, and purpose
OUR IMPACT
In just two years, Higher Is Waiting has:
- Served hundreds of teens through events focused on confidence, purpose, emotional wellness, and leadership
- Packed and given out 2,000+ blessing bags
- Donated hundreds of backpacks filled with school supplies in the past five months
- Provided meals and clothes to families, shelters, and individuals in need
- Connected teens to scholarships, jobs, mentorships, and leadership opportunities
- Hosted mentorship sessions that support mental health, identity, resilience, and personal growth
- Organized leadership workshops, talent showcases, and youth service projects
- Built strong community partnerships with churches, shelters, and youth organizations
- Been featured on ABC 11, CBS 17, AFRO TV, K97.5, WIZS Radio, CBS 17, and multiple publications for our work
- Created a consistent safe space where rural youth feel supported and valued
- Teens involved in EMPOWERED report higher confidence, better mental well-being, and stronger academic and leadership performance.
Every donation helps a teen go higher. If you can’t give today, sharing this page still makes a difference. Thank you for supporting rural youth.
Organizer
Higher Is Waiting
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