“More than anything, Surge has instilled a belief that I belong. It’s instilled a confidence in me that I lacked. Often times, given my upbringing, I lacked confidence when I found myself in professional settings. I simply did not feel worthy of being in the same space as many of the very bright and innovative people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Through the fellowship, however, I came to understand that feeling like this is all too common for people of color. And a large part of the experience was shaking off these feelings and learning to take command of the spaces we occupy. The many kids our organizations serve deserve nothing less.”