Alumna Adanna P.: Building Confidence and Wellness for the Next Generation
Adanna is an alumna of The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of Manhattan and Founder of Sisters of the Sun. She shared her recent experiences leading workshops for our Jumpstart to College+ events and offered advice for high school students.
How did you first get interested in yoga and wellness? When did you decide to take that next step to create Sisters of the Sun?
Being a classroom teacher inspired me to become a yoga teacher and receive my yoga teacher certification through Breath for Change.
I created Sisters of the Sun early in my teaching career after a difficult time adjusting as a new professional and missing the convenience of community that was created in college. It started as an idea that I bounced around with my then roommate and a few friends about what we each needed, and I realized we weren’t alone. We realized we needed a way for young professionals to care for ourselves before we could care for the students or projects involved in our work.
What was it like to return to your alma mater TYWLS Manhattan (and the sister schools) to offer yoga to the students?
Adanna and fellow TYWLS high school seniors 
Adanna at high school graduation
After I graduated college, I taught at a girls’ charter school. Having been a student at TYWLS, a public girls’ school, and then returning to a similar education space as an adult brought back many memories and experiences that resonated with the students.
Returning to TYWLS for the Jumpstart to College+ programs has been a full-circle moment for me! I remember the many times we had guest speakers and how some of their words stuck with me. I hope I am able to impact the students at TYWLS in the same way.
Did something in your college experiences nurture this passion, or help you develop the skill sets needed to pursue your own path?
In college, I was the founder and president of the National Congress of Black Women – University at Albany chapter. Leading an organization in college gave me the skills and confidence to create an organization outside of college.
I also attended a different college when I first started out, and I was so sure of my college choice that I didn’t consider other options. After my first year, I learned to listen to my inner voice and realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. I transferred to the University at Albany, which I loved, and that was where I thrived. Being able to pivot is a useful skill, no matter what someone decides to do in life.
What advice would you like to share with teenagers today about their own health and wellness journeys?
Workshop on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 
Yoga session at TYWLS 
Adanna, Founder of Sisters of the Sun
I would like to encourage teens to find things that genuinely bring them joy and hold on to those tools in moments when they feel stressed. I didn’t even consider yoga when I was in their shoes at age 17 or 18. It was after college, when I started working full-time, that I came to realize that I needed to become the person that I’m encouraging other people to be.
I’d also like them to remember that they can change their minds at any time. Something they feel very certain about as a high school student may change by the time they graduate, and it’s okay to pursue something different.
