We were lucky to catch up with Makenzi Henderson & Jade Coleman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Makenzi  & Jade , thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Honestly, it all began with one crazy idea. As 10th graders, Jade and I were always highly involved in school and extracurricular activities throughout outside organizations. However, we recognized that not everyone at our school had the same opportunities as us. This realization prompted us to initiate a club that promotes leadership, mentorship, and career readiness, ensuring that all students had an equal chance to advance themselves while in high school.

Upon conceiving the idea, we immediately began contacting school administrators to secure approval for our club in the following year. Throughout our summer break, we dedicated countless hours to planning and drafting statements/proposals to expedite the establishment of our club. This process taught us the importance of persistence and self-advocacy, revealing that they can take you a long way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Makenzi Henderson – My name is Makenzi Henderson, and I am a student in the Medical Science Academy at Hightower High School. My hobbies include pageantry, STEM related activities, and cheerleading. Starting a club at my school was quite spontaneous for me. I’ve always had the idea, but I was more inclined to execute it with a partner. My reasoning for collaborating with Jade Coleman to initiate this club was simply because I want everyone to have equal opportunities and exposure. I’ve observed that while attending a predominantly Black school, people tend to overlook us and refrain from providing the same resources as our peers at other schools, based merely on the assumption that we do not seek such opportunities. However, that assumption is not true. Through this club initiative, I aspire to make it easier for everyone to pursue their passions. One aspect I believe distinguishes us from other clubs or school organizations is the attention to detail and the intention behind every social bonding event, meeting, and gathering. Our club doesn’t solely focus on leadership; we also emphasize community building, mental health, and the significance of a strong work ethic. Ultimately, I am most proud of how far we’ve come from just an idea and how we’ve inspired other students at our school to start their own clubs! Lastly, I want everyone to know that there is no limit to your success, and no dream is too big.

Jade Coleman – My name is Jade Coleman, and I am 16 years old. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, but I live in Houston, Texas. I am a junior and currently attend Hightower High School in Missouri City. My hobbies are dancing, cooking, shopping, writing poetry, and doing hair. I also enjoy traveling and spending time with my family and friends during my free time. As a young person in my community, I have always strived to push toward greatness and inspire others to do so. During the 2022-2023 school year, I realized that there was a real need in my community and that the teens needed guidance. The teens in my community needed someone to advocate for them and give them a voice socially and educationally. This realization led the co-founder, Makenzi, and I, to launch the M.A.D.E club at our school. If you do not know, M.A.D.E stands for Making A Difference Everywhere, and while we are striving to produce the future changemakers of the world through our club, we recognize that the change must come from within first. Our club builds our members up mentally, physically, inside and out. Our primary focus is to increase the urge to go to college, build self-confidence, strengthen leadership and volunteerism, and create teens ready to make a social impact with their talents. Minority teens are often only introduced to a handful of career choices: doctors, lawyers, teachers, NBA players, or anything else in the athletic field. In the M.A.D.E club, we strive to create an environment that nurtures teens’ passions while allowing them to be introduced to many careers and resources they wouldn’t typically receive. An aspect that distinguishes our organization from others is intent, passion, purpose, and love in every move we make. We are building a family and building one another to become more significant. M.A.D.E club nurtures networking early on because we have so many teens going into different career fields; we will try our best to keep them all connected and call on one another. Overall, while Makenzi and I’s journey is just beginning, we are prepared to accomplish our goals by whatever it takes. Always remember that everything you face in life will have obstacles, but it’s about how you overcome them and keep preserving is what leads you to success.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

As humans, our natural instinct is always to fit in. But, the real test comes when something or a certain situation challenges the morals we have set for ourselves. One piece of advice I’d give to someone for maintaining high morals is to never forget who you are, never forget where you come from, and never forget why you started in the first place. It’s easy to get caught up in the world and unconsciously try to change yourself to fit certain stereotypes or perceptions. But, you must stay firm in what you believe in, always. Set high standards for yourself and be humble enough to know you are better than no one…But, also understand that you are too good for certain situations. Be confident in what you believe in; trust me, and it takes time. If you ever question yourself and your actions, just know that you probably aren’t following the morals you have set for yourself. My advice for managing a team is to be humble enough to listen and strong enough to make decisions. Good leaders listen to their teammates and/or group members and make everyones opinions or ideas feel validated. They keep unbiased viewpoints but ultimately make the smartest decision in the end.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media has been one of the primary reasons our club gained the extensive exposure it has today, reaching various schools, districts, and even states! The steps we took to build our audience through social media began simply by using our personal profiles to increase visibility. Subsequently, we engaged with our followers through polls, Instagram, reels, and by responding to direct messages. Consistency on social media and utilizing it as a tool to enhance our endeavors always yields improvements. When you use social media as a tool to elevate your brand, the possibilities are limitless.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @HightowerMadeClub
• Other: Makenzi Henderson Instagram – @kenzirihanna Jade Coleman Instagram – @Jade M.A.D.E. Club Email – [email protected]