Student Testimonials

Nikki 2024

The education and experience Gina's Team Principles for Leadership Program has provided me, first as a student, and then as an assistant to the program, has constantly evolved in nature. Each session building upon the former over the course of (my attendance at) five sessions and two different curriculums I believe each application will continue to do so with every fresh face and new perspective brought into this dynamic class.

For me as a participant, being actively engaged revived the natural curiosity of the eternal student dormant within, and reawakened my child-like eagerness and optimism to my outlook on life and my future. Being a student in a field of study tailored to my natural strong suits, reminded me of who I'd dreamt to be as a child. More importantly, showed me that the woman whom I dreamt to be, is in fact who I've become. Regardless of where I am at this point in space and time. And maybe, this current space and time is the precise situation needed to wak my authentic self and true warrior within.

As a Gina's Team assistant for the last three sessions it's been deeply humbling and has opened my awareness to a panoramic perspective, in the effect I hold as a person in a role I underestimated originally. The natural evolution of a leader, when the student becomes a teacher, a guide or helper. I had thought I was only helping during class or session time, but I came to realize quickly how each decision I made throughout my day was an opportunity to lead by example. My daily goals have become my core values and my pate of progress has become a moral responsibility to teach through thought, action and deed to those who are willing to learn. Gina's Team helped uncover these priceless life lessons and I'm truly grateful.

Beth 2024

I cannot thank Gina's Team enough for the impact this program has had on my life. Before completing this program, I struggled with my self-confidence and lacked the realization that I AM SOMEBODY! However completing this program helped me realized my strengths and identify my values while providing me with the tools to set achievable goals and develop a plan to accomplish them.

The program's guidance and support have been truly invaluable in helping me to develop my leadership skills and increase my confidence to pursue my passions and accept new challenges. My belief in myself and my abilities has increased tremendously. Taking the skills learned from the program, my voices will be heard as I will be an advocate to make a change within the corrections industry upon my release.

Gina's Team has truly been a game-changer for me and has given me the necessary skills and mindset to succeed in both my personal and professional life. I have a new realization of my self-worth and the possibilities are endless! My eyes have been opened to the realization that anything is possible if I believe in myself and put forth the effort. I am no longer a victim of a past that I cannot go back and change. A past that no longer defines my future.

I highly recommend the Gina's Team program to anyone interested in taking their leadership or personal growth to the next level. You will no longer just count the days... you will learn the importance and value of making each day count.

Britt 2024

The impact that Gina's Team has had on my life is without a doubt amazing!! It's not just the tools that I have learned that have changed me. It's the inspirational group of people who take the time to show up and encourage me to believe in myself. All the way back to day one (February 2, 2023) of the first class I took, up until today (March 25, 2024) I have not stopped learning about who I really am. I can look back at the journal I started in this class and see just how much I have grown in the last year. I love this program so much so that I have now become a "lifetime" GAT Girl. While I am incarcerated, I will be an active advocate for this program. Upon my release, I would lik to get even more involved. It may take some time before I am able to be where I would like to be with Gina's Team, but I won't give up. Where there is a will, there is a way. I have the will and I am a BUFFALO!!! Thank you all!

Melissa 2024

Gina's Team. I have been in prison for 4 ½ years on a 7 year sentence. Unfortunately this is my 5th time here. It's not like I went out there and didn't try cause I did. I really did. You see... when you are raised by people that hurt you, lie to you, hit you, abandon you and let others do what they want to you sexually, your beliefs about yourself and the world around you gets very distorted. You take all that into adulthood and it takes lots of years and many bad decisions to figure out what you're doing is not the way to do it. Through it all though, I have always been able to hold onto hope that one day it will be better. I would absorb wisdom and advice from the people I could that had it together but even those people were few and far between. 

I have been working diligently from the moment I got here this time and became willing to be vulnerable, open and honest. I have done every single program and have taken every single class available to me and will continue to do so until I walk out of these gates. However, as much as I've learned, it wasn't until the first time I attended Gina's Team that things really started coming together in a more bold, confident way. It wasn't just the leadership skills that were life-changing, it was the love and the caring that Billie's team puts forth in every single class. I don't know if Billie realizes but her intentional way of making eye contact at least once with every lady no matter how big the class was has touched me in a very profound way. It whoed me that she does hear and she does care and at the end of those very short six weeks, you feel like you can accomplish anything you put our mind to and that I AM SOMEBODY. Gina's Team filled a hunger I didn't even know was there and I look forward to taking the knowledge and skills and put it into wherever God will lead me to.

THANK YOU GINA'S TEAM FOR EVERYTING! You all will never be forgotten. I look foward to doing all I can to pay it forward.

Tyrissianna  2024

Dear Gina's Team,

I jus twant to tell you how much I enjoyed your class. It was very uplifting and inspiring and instille a confidence in me that I was locking before taking your class.

I learned what it means to advocated and I will use this knowledge going forward to help myself and others overcome challenges. Your class is meaningful and left a positive impression on my life. Thank you for volunteering your time.

Robin 2024

I'm writing to you to let you know what your Team has done for me. I have found my voice that was subdued for so long down in my inner soul. I now speak up for myself when be the need to. You've empowered me by reminding me this is my life and if I'm going to get results, I need to speak up or out whatever the case may be. I had forgotten how to do that with all my emptions of negativity suppressing me. I thank you for helping me realize that. I. I am. I AM SOMEBODY! And I am Grateful!

Jessie 2024

Let me start this letter with appreciation for each individual on this team. Time is precious and is not promised. The time and effort each of you apply to this organization is outstanding. The love, kindness, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is expressed through this class. The tools that are offered will forever be placed inside my toolbox. For that, I'll be forever grateful!

As I look back at the curriculum my understanding of a leader becomes more clear. The principles of leadership apply to my personal life in more ways than I every thought were possible. We are all capable of becoming amazing leaders, because "we are all born leaders." Now the question is: will we put forth the effort to become the leaders we were born to be?

This class helped me "find" my strengths, what I value, and created the vision of the best possible life for myself.

I am somebody! What a powerful statement. A true statement. One that is very dear to me. Dignity and respect were always a part of my vocabulary, but at a point in time all that flew out the window. Now I've figured out how to re-introduce these important words into my life. Session Three: The Strength of My Journey: Forgiving Me, Forgiving You left me speechless at times. It was a good speechless. One that led me to dig deep inside my soul. I was able to remain open-minded and work through the hard truth.

My prayers continue for each and every one of you. Gina is looking down from Heaven in love with this organization that was created for her. I appreciate being able to be included in Gina's dream.

Julia 2024

Gina's Team ... was beyond amazing. I took the class last year in July and am glad I did. During my morning run, I still today tell myself, I am enough. I am worth it and I am a leader. Since the class I now strive to be an entrepreneur and am always brainstorming on ideas and innovative ideas to become one.

Thank you .... for everything you do for us on the inside. I appreciate your guidance and your determination to help us - does not go unnoticed!

Lisa 2024

Dear ... "Gina's Team",

I am writing to thank you and tell you that the 6 weeks I spent with you and Gina's team every Thursday on Santa Rosa Unit was the most inspirational moments of my life.  Standing in the circle at the close of each session and reciting "I Am Somebody!" really left an impression on me. I could feel the positive vibe radiating through each person's connection to the next, coming full circuit.

I especially enjoyed the community forum exercise (Ed. Note: civil dialogue training) where volunteers were challenged to debate their assigned positions on current issues plaguing society, like gun laws. It was an eye opener. 

Another aspect I found helpful was when we were assigned teams and asked to design a poster with a business opportunity that we could venture into when released. There were so many amazing ideas.

But the exercise that affected me most deeply was my letter to my 15 year old self. Wow - that was a powerful experience. Learning to forgive ourselves is by far one of the hardest things I've had to do, and writing that letter help me to let go of a lot of unnecessary guilt. 

Thanks again for the tears and the laughter ~

Angelica 2024

I was asked to write a letter about how Gina's Team has affected my life, but before I do that I would like to properly introduce myself. My name is Angelica. I am 39 years old. I was board under a bridge in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My father and mother were both drug addicts. My earliest childhood memory was chasing my older brother down the side of the freeway in nothing but a cardboard box until a local disk jockey saw us and put us all in an apartment and helped get both of my parents a job. My mother's was an exotic dancer and I can't remember what my dad did probably because he seemed to always be around with his "friends.". He would shoot me up with heroin, rape me and pass me around to his friends all while making my brother watch. This lasted until I was 4 years old where my mother came home and noticed I was bleeding because of what they had done to me. My parents then began to fight and it got pretty bad, so bad in fact that my brother called the cops, with the cops came CPS thus ending the abuse. My mom would visit then when I was 7. The visits stopped. I never saw or heard from her again. I had always thought that what had happened was my fault, i only I hadn't been bleeding my family would have stayed together. My brother and I were separated for a while, then together. Then we got adopted both at the age of 10. The adopted parents were real good to my brother but my adopted mom was the real-life version of mommy dearest. It was awful. I turned 18 , got married. quit school and once again felt like I was the problem in every one's life. Started thinking that all that's happened to me I deserved.

Then, I tool Gina's Team and I realized that none of the things that happened to me back then was my fault and none of those things define who I am and I never deserved any of the things that those people did to me. I was only a kid without a voice that people could hear. Now I speak up and make sure I am heard. I am one test away from acquiring my GED then on to college! I speak to the females in here telling them that they can do anything they set their minds to. That they are beautiful, smart, loving and wonderfully made and just because we are locked up doesn't mean we are bad people. It simply means we made a mistake just like all the humans ever have. I am no longer scared to be me, in fact I am striving to be a better me. I'm not the best me, but I definitely am not the worst me and I know I will never e perfect cause no one is.

But most of all I learned that I am Somebody, and that I matter and that's an amazing feeling. I didn't tell you my story for you to feel sorry for me and still it's only a piece. I told you that so you know that I have overcome so much and if I can do it, then anyone can do it and I believe the courage and wisdom provided by this class has just made my foundation that much more stable. So thank you all for helping me see that this is "just a moment in time" and soon it will be my time to shine!