Village Talks Ep. 3 — “Be who you’re here to be.” A Conversation with Youth Strategist Patricia Wicks

Village Talks Ep. 3 — “Be who you’re here to be.” A Conversation with Youth Strategist Patricia Wicks

What’s up, fam—Damien here. If you’ve been rocking with Village Talks, you already know the heart: bring the village together so our young people don’t just survive—they thrive. The more we connect, share tools, and tell the truth about what’s working, the faster we move from talk to traction. Today’s guest lives that ethic every day: my friend, sister, and accountability partner, Patricia Wicks, a youth development strategist and founder of PathWorks (Purpose, Attitude, Tenacity, Hope). She’s been building tools for students, families, schools, nonprofits—and the systems that shape them—for decades.

This episode is a masterclass in centering purpose, aligning systems, and refusing to let the noise redefine who our kids are or what they can do.

Meet Patricia Wicks (PathWorks)

Patricia’s work sits at the intersection of research and real life. She’s a builder of frameworks and a coach to the people who carry them into classrooms, living rooms, and board rooms. Her signature approach—FLOW (Focused Learning, Ownership, and Wellness)—equips young people and the adults around them with practical tools they can own and use daily. She’s worked with individual students, school systems, and nonprofits across Ohio, Chicago, and beyond, and she’s expanding into edtech to scale access.

“Be who you’re here to be, and do what you’re here to do.”

That line is the thread through everything Patricia said. Not as a motivational poster—but as a design principle for youth programs, school partnerships, and community coalitions.

Evidence + Lived Experience: Why Purpose Matters

Patricia didn’t pull FLOW or PATH out of thin air. It’s grounded in human development and backed by years of research and practice. She reminded us: when young people explore purpose—especially in late adolescence—they build the tenacity to move through obstacles. And when they do that work in safe spaces—where identity is affirmed and voice is real—they engage better with the resources around them. Not to change who they are, but to build on who they are.

I felt that. As a kid from 79th Street, I had to learn my own story wasn’t a liability; it’s my superpower. Patricia puts language and structure under that truth so students don’t need 40 years to figure it out.

It’s Not Just Kids—It’s Systems

Here’s where Patricia went next, and it’s the push we all need: systems mirror back identity. If a young person does deep identity work and then steps into a school, program, or agency that can’t reflect that back, we lose momentum. So yes—support the student. But also equip the village: parents, mentors, schools, nonprofits, and government partners.

She calls this her synergy-building process—helping organizations be honest about their mission, the outcomes they actually produce, and the transitional pain required to change. Collaboration isn’t just a word in a grant; it’s a practice that demands we admit our agendas, align on purpose, and re-tool how decisions get made so the child stays centered.

“Know where you start and stop—so we can move past individuality and become the collective.”

That’s the work. Not the easy kind. The necessary kind.

The Village Test: Are We Centered or Just Coordinated?

We all love the word “collaboration.” Patricia challenged us to ask tougher questions:

• Are we aligned on purpose—or only on shared language?

• Do our policies and calendars match our North Star?

• When a young person shows up with their own goals, do our programs have room to listen and adapt?

• Where are we willing to feel the transitional pain of doing things differently so outcomes actually change?

If our answers are fuzzy, it’s not a failure—it’s feedback. The village can’t be a slogan; it has to be a system that consistently mirrors dignity, capability, and belonging back to our kids.

Patricia’s “Magic Wand”

When I handed her the hypothetical wand and asked what she’d change, she didn’t ask for hype. She asked for capacity: a team that expands reach without losing fidelity to the core. Access without friction. Coaching that scales. And yes—tech that keeps identity at the center. She’s already moving: the FLOW app is underway with college and grad students building alongside her, so young adults are co-creators, not just end users.

That’s how you scale and stay human.

Nuggets You’ll Want to Keep

• Identity first, then tools. Safe spaces where students explore purpose make every other intervention more effective.

• Systems shape mirrors. If the mirror is distorted, the student’s progress stalls; fix the mirror.

• Collaboration ≠ consensus. It’s owning perspectives, surfacing agendas, and committing to a shared outcome with real accountability.

• Change costs something. Transitional pain is evidence that transformation—not performative partnership—is happening.

• Center the child, always. If a young person’s goals can’t fit inside our program’s rules, the rules need revision.

Patricia’s Parting Word

Grandma-level wisdom: chew the meat, spit the fat… then suck the bones—pull every last ounce of nourishment from what serves you and leave the rest. Think critically. Test what you hear. Keep the good.

And the line I want on a T-shirt:

Be who you’re here to be, and do what you’re here to do. Period.

Connect & Keep Building

• Learn more or book time with Patricia: pathworksglobal.com

• Want to share your village story or tools? DM Damien Howard—let’s get you on a future episode.

• If today sparked something—share a takeaway or a question. Your insight might be the exact mirror someone else needs.

Grateful for you, Patricia. Grateful for this village. Let’s keep assembling—Avengers style—for our kids, our city, and our future.