First Generation Programming Services

Welcome back, First Gens! This month is flying by, but this month’s theme, Advocating as a First Gen, is still here! As we continue discussing Advocating as a First Gen, this week we welcome another brand-new guest, Kristine Leslie.

Kristine Leslie

Kristine is a multiply neurodivergent Strategy and Development Consultant who offers support in creative capacity building to communities and organizations as Chief Transformation Officer of Integrative Arts and Well-being at her consultancy, Consult with Kristine. She earned a B.A. in Sociology and English-Writing from Kean University, where she spearheaded the creation of Afro-Latinx Dance Project and directed WOMANITY Union. She is also an advocate for inclusion, accessibility, and the intersection of arts and wellness. During our talk with Kristine, we discussed many aspects of the first-gen experience, from navigating personal identity to advocating for oneself in spaces that often lack inclusivity.

Kristine grew up in a family full of creativity, which started her journey in the arts very early. However, she was the first to choose to make the arts her full time job, embracing movement, theater, and wellness as both a personal and professional calling. As we discussed the intersection between arts and well-being, Kristine talks about how movement, whether through dance, yoga, or other forms of creative expression, plays a crucial role in mental health. The arts serve as an outlet for emotions, offering a way to process trauma and maintain balance in our mental health.

Advocating as a First Gen

We also talked about how, as first gens, many of us are taught to advocate for others before we ever learn to advocate for ourselves. Kristine shares how she first learned self-advocacy in college, when she looked for support for anxiety and later discovered her neurodivergence. It was a moment of empowerment that shifted her perspective on work, identity, and self-care. She also spoke on the importance of self-awareness in advocacy. Understanding her own needs, energy levels, and work capacity led her to entrepreneurship, which allowed her to create a work-life balance that accommodated her well-being rather than depleting it. Lastly, we talked about the importance of setting boundaries, an essential but challenging skill for many first gens raised in environments where saying “no” was discouraged.

Overall, Kristine stressed the importance of advocating for yourself and knowing that it’s not just about personal gain. It’s about ensuring that those who come after us don’t have to fight the same battles alone. She offers the advice to find your voice through art, journaling, or any creative outlet that helps process your thoughts and emotions. Identify your patterns, set boundaries, and remember that you don’t have to conform to traditional molds of success.

If you want to find Kristine, check out her LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-leslie-8b1648207/.

Also, here are the links that Kristine mentioned on the show!

1. https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/
2. Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto (Rest Is Resistance, 1): Hersey, Tricia: 9780316365215: Amazon.com: Books
3. https://sites.google.com/view/kristineleslienj/resources/media-hub/wellbeing-toolkit?authuser=0
4. Amazon.com: It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle (Audible Audio Edition): Mark Wolynn, Mark Wolynn, Penguin Audio: Audible Books & Originals

The First Gen Madrina/The Social Work Madrina