Hello all, my name is Cheryl Frye and I am the owner of The Origin Hip Hop Academy in San Diego. Our school has been in business for 15 years and has provided Hip Hop arts curriculum for hundreds of youth, teens, and adults in our community. We have celebrated many accomplishments and milestones as a Black-owned business while facing many hardships and setbacks. I have had the unbelievable honor and pleasure to have a group of young adults grow up from young students of our Academy to adult directors of our company.

Over the last few years, as a family-owned business, we have had significant personal obstacles including health issues, business upheavals, 2 car accidents, and more. These young people, including Gio Rodriguez, Logan Trio, Jason Daniels, Lily Vasquez, and Angelique Duran, stepped up without hesitation and took over total operations of not one studio but now two. I watched them grow up from young children to strong, responsible adults when no one in my family was able to run the business. Physical injuries, health issues, and personal issues made it literally impossible. They ran EVERYTHING, allowing us to recuperate.

Their biggest accomplishment to date is set to make history. Under their leadership, they have taken a group of novice dancers in under 2 years and have, along with themselves, qualified to represent the United States at The World Hip Hop Dance Championships in New Zealand this coming Spring. We are set to be the first Black-owned Hip Hop studio in SD to compete and travel internationally! Their accomplishments are a testament to the legacy of “Growing up Origin,” our mission and my vision of the cultural and educational values of hip hop. But most importantly, it is a testament to them as a collective of what hard work, perseverance and taking responsibility as adults looks like. They came to us as 8, 12, 13, 15, and 17-year-old kids and have, before my eyes, transformed into strong men and women!

Please join me in helping them raise money to not only make the dreams of their students come true but their own dreams as well. I don’t know a group of young people more deserving! All proceeds from this GoFundMe will go towards airfares, room and board, and other essentials for travel. Thanks in advance.