This month, Julia McClannon, a family and consumer science teacher, and Dr. Emily Jessee, our Fuquay-Varina High School career coordinator, will be launching their very own business called Sunshine Studios.
The mission of Sunshine Studios is to empower young women by providing workshops that teach self-confidence, positivity, personal growth and various other ways of improving mental health.
The first workshop will focus on developing a positive mindset, and it will be held Sunday, Nov. 24 from 1-4 p.m. It is designed to provide the tools for young women to create and maintain a positive outlook, even in hard situations. By equipping students with these skills, they will be able to build more confidence and resilience in all areas of their lives.
They decided to start this business after having a conversation about how many teens and tweens seem to be struggling more and more with mental health.
“One of us just said there really needs to be something because not everybody can afford therapy and our counseling and mental health classes are only reaching a small portion of students,” said McClannon.
Being both educators and leaders, McClannon and Dr. Jessee bring a great amount of wisdom and knowledge when it comes to the challenges that young women deal with and how to face them. They aim for Sunshine Studios to be a safe and supportive environment for young women to get out of their comfort zone and grow.
One of the many benefits of these workshops is that they have a maximum of 15 girls per workshop.
McClannon said, “We want to make sure that it’s not like a college lecture, and it is a safe, comforting environment for girls to express themselves and feel like it is okay to answer a question or tell a personal story.”
Sunshine Studios is a fantastic and valuable resource that is highly needed in the Fuquay-Varina community. McClannon and Dr. Jessee have put so much time, effort and love into this business, and it really shows.
For more information, such as how to register for workshops, contact them at [email protected] or visit the Sunshine Studios Instagram page.
