🕊️ Our Story: A Legacy in Bloom

A tribute to my mother and the roots of Aya Renaissance School

Aya means fern—a West African Adinkra symbol of endurance and resourcefulness. It’s more than a beautiful word; it is the soul of our school and the heart of my story. When I sat down to dream about what kind of school I wanted to create, I didn’t start with policies or curriculum—I started with my mother.

My mother didn’t have much in the way of material wealth, but what she gave me was far richer. She gave me the power of vision, the strength of resilience, and the gift of education.

She believed in the kind of excellence that doesn’t come with applause, but with intention. She believed in showing up, every day, in every season, for the sake of something greater—her children, her faith, her legacy. When I think of grit, grace, and quiet brilliance, I think of her. She could stretch a dollar, a pot of rice, or a dream farther than anyone I’ve ever known.

My mother didn’t go to Ivy League schools or sit on panels about education reform. But she was a master teacher. She taught me that learning doesn’t only happen in classrooms—it happens in kitchens, in quiet prayers, in car rides where lessons are laced between songs on the radio.

She taught me that education is not just about achievement. It’s about identity. It’s about knowing who you are, where you come from, and what you carry.

When I founded Aya Renaissance School, I did so with her voice in my head and her love in my heart. I wanted to create a place where children are seen, stretched, and celebrated. A place where joy is part of the curriculum, where creativity flows as freely as confidence, and where legacy is more than a word—it’s a way of being.

Aya is for the children like me, who just needed someone to believe. Aya is for the mothers like mine, who never gave up. Aya is for the ancestors, the artists, the scholars, the storytellers, and the students who are still becoming.

This school is not just a dream fulfilled—it is a promise kept.

And I thank my mother for planting the seed.

With love,

Jeanetta Powell

Founder, Aya Renaissance School