Connecting and Recharging: Thrive in Joy’s First Advisor Retreat

Club Thrive in Joy Advisors along with their C11 Program Coordinator—all of whom are USC students—came together at Thrive in Joy’s co-working space in DTLA for our first annual Advisor Retreat. Grounded in connection, reflection, and intention, the team had a chance to focus on how each of their schools will bring intention and purpose to their spring semester Entrepreneurial Social Impact Projects (ESIPs) scheduled over the next several weeks.

Growing as Leaders

Serving as a Thrive in Joy Advisor involves far more than facilitating meetings and coaching students through their projects. The Advisors themselves evolve in their leadership styles while inspiring the high school students to follow their examples.

For Nadia Valle-Luna, serving as a C11 Advisor has meant learning to shift her approach. “I’ve learned how to be more assertive in my leadership and how to guide my students and be a resource rather than do the work,” Nadia went on to share how stepping back and empowering students was different than what she was used to before becoming an Advisor.

This shift — from doing the work to empowering students to lead — is at the heart of the C11 experience. Advisors are merely the guides as the high school student leaders and club members tackle the design and production of these well-planned, impactful ESIPs (Entrepreneurial Social Impact Projects). Throughout the process, everyone is cultivating their confidence and problem-solving skills and creating space to rise together to meet the challenges these experiences present.

C11 Advisor, Isaiah Morena, describes his role in deeply personal terms. “Being a Thrive in Joy Advisor has allowed me to create the kind of space I once wished I’d had.” Elaborating on this Isaiah described this as, “A space where I can help young people get to where they want to be, where they can write or talk about something that has created true social impact and has allowed them to get firsthand experience in being a leader and organizing a big project.” He added, “That’s everything I would’ve ever wanted as a high-schooler, so my position really just means grace and uplifting.”

Creating Space for Reflection

One of the most powerful moments of the day, according to Nadia, was the intentional time set aside for honest dialogue. Nadia shared, “Discussion time where we reflected on what is going well and what we can improve on was my most meaningful moment during the Advisor Retreat because we all felt comfortable discussing how we were feeling in a safe space.”

That sense of psychological safety is central to Thrive in Joy’s leadership model. When Advisors feel supported and heard, they carry that forward as they lead their students with confidence and clarity.

C11 Program Coordinator, Amy Godinez, echoed this sentiment. Reflecting on the retreat, she shared, “I’ve learned that leadership is about facilitating growth, creating structure, and empowering others to succeed. The retreat reinforced the importance of trust, active listening, and providing guidance while allowing Advisors to take initiative and shape their own experiences.”

The Advisor Retreat provided assurance that meaningful impact starts with prepared leadership. This investment in our Advisors, is sure to reap a return through their impact on every student they mentor and every community they serve.

This program would not be possible without the support from USC, both through the Good Neighbor grant that helps fund the students’ projects and the Advisors’ subsidized compensation through USC’s work-study financial aid. We’re so grateful to our amazing four Advisors, Isaiah Moreno, Giselle Ochoa, Anthony Sanchez, and Nadia Valle-Luna; and to our incredibly competent and inspiring Program Coordinator, Amy Godinez.