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Tia Banks

@thetiabanks

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🎤 Resilience Expert
🌍 Impactful School Speaker #POLEPOLE
⛰️ Mountain Climber
🏈🏀 Former Pro Athlete
Director of NLSA Chapters

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Less than 30% of middle school students in the U.S. are projected to pass the state exam.

This wasn’t just motivation… this was a movement.

A movement that outlives the assembly.
A movement that shifts how students think, speak, and show up.

We didn’t just talk—we built leaders.

Polé Polé Leaders: students who lead by example, create peace in conflict, and help others grow.

This is how culture changes.

Bring the Mind Over Mountains movement to your school.
👉🏾 www.tiabanks.com

🎥 credit @najarmedia taken in San Antonio, Texas by @thetiabanks

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6 months ago

For every burned out educator… for every student that doesn’t feel seen or doubts they can pass the test… This is for you🏔️🏔️🏔️🫶🏾🫶🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🏔️🏔️💪🏾💪🏾💙💙

🎥 credit: @najarmedia by @thetiabanks

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9 months ago

🎙️ Tonight at 7pm CST on the @bside_app, we’re joined by the incredible Tia Banks on The Basement!

@thetiabanks is not just a powerhouse—she’s also an award-winning speaker who’s all about transforming school culture with the power of resilience.

What decisions will YOU make today? 🏔️

#TheBasement #TimRoss #TiaBanks #Resilience #GodsPlan #Motivation #FaithInAction #BSideApp by @thetiabanks

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2 years ago

Greatness is a group effort. And sometimes, all it takes is ONE person who believes in you.

For 10 years, I had the privilege of serving as a Big in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. And one thing I learned is that mentorship is about so much more than giving advice.

It’s about showing up. Listening. Building trust. Creating a safe space. And helping someone see potential in themselves that they may not recognize yet.

Here’s something powerful: Research shows that young people mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters are 20% more likely to attend college.

But beyond the statistics, I’ve witnessed firsthand how mentorship can build confidence, strengthen relationships, improve decision-making, and change the trajectory of someone’s life.

Sometimes, young people don’t need another person telling them what they’re doing wrong. They need someone reminding them of what’s possible.

And mentorship isn’t just for young people. We all need people who challenge us, encourage us, and remind us of who we’re capable of becoming.

You don’t have to have it all figured out to make a difference in someone’s life. Sometimes, your presence is the greatest gift you can give.

So here’s my question: Who’s someone who believed in you before you believed in yourself? And how are you paying that forward?

#MentorshipMatters #BigBrothersBigSisters #GreatnessIsAGroupEffort #YouthEmpowerment #mindovermountains taken in Dallas, Texas by @thetiabanks

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10 hours ago

One of Michael Jordan’s most iconic performances, the legendary “Flu Game,” wasn’t about feeling his best. It was about finding something within himself when everything was working against him.

Sometimes greatness is revealed when life gets uncomfortable.

So here’s my question: What if your darkest moment is preparing you for your greatest one? taken in Racine, Wisconsin by @thetiabanks

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2 days ago

Peace, y’all. Tia Banks here.

Educators care so much.

I had a conversation with a middle school principal and asked him, “Why did you get into education?”

I could tell the question caught him off guard. It took him back to when he was young and needed someone like the principal and educator he is today.

He shared a personal story and became vulnerable, so much so that tears started welling up in his eyes.

At the end of the conversation, we hugged. Although we don’t do the exact same thing, we both pour from a place that’s sacred into the next generation.

There are opportunities in conversations. Opportunities to connect. Opportunities to see one another.

This is important in leadership. This is important in life.

What opportunity will you give yourself today to have a conversation that helps you truly see someone? taken in Racine Wis by @thetiabanks

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3 days ago

What will it take for you to be great today?

I recently challenged a group of student-athletes to give themselves permission to be GREAT.

But this message isn’t just for athletes. It’s for ALL of us.

Greatness is being a great human being. A great mother. A great educator. A great leader.

Greatness is owning up to your mistakes, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Greatness is studying for your master’s degree or PhD when life is already demanding so much of you.

Greatness is navigating grief, divorce, financial hardship, or a health diagnosis and still finding the courage to set goals, show up, and believe in what’s possible.

See, greatness isn’t always about winning championships, earning awards, or standing on stages.

Sometimes greatness is simply choosing not to give up on yourself when life gives you every reason to.

You don’t have to wait for the perfect circumstances to be GREAT. You have permission to be great right where you are.

And remember, greatness doesn’t require perfection. It requires intention.

So I’ll ask you again…

What will it take for YOU to be great TODAY? taken in Racine, Wisconsin by @thetiabanks

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3 days ago

POV: You’re raised in one of the worst cities in the country. Your environment makes it hard to thrive. Then a Black woman from Texas who climbs mountains and cares about you—before you even know her—comes to your city to look you in the eyes and give you hope.

That’s the heart of the Pole Pole Leadership Academy: helping you own your journey, build resilience, and move forward one step at a time. 💙🏔️ taken in Racine, Wisconsin by @thetiabanks

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6 days ago

When hope has been lost, we cannot afford to leave it unrestored.

Excited about this partnership! Excited to partner with school administrators who care not just about their students’ academics, but also their well-being.

The Pole Pole Leadership Academy supports students who are struggling, students who have room to grow, and students who need support with behavior, managing and regulating their emotions, and improving academic performance.

Although my keynotes are impactful, the beauty of this initiative is that it lasts for several months. We provide mentorship and success strategies, while tracking real statistics and real data to measure progress—helping students thrive despite challenging environments.

Shout out to the administrators who continue to partner with community partners to advocate for hope for their educators and students.

When hope has been lost, we cannot afford to leave it unrestored. What can we do together to help our students believe in their future again?

🎥 credit: @thesullyxp by @thetiabanks

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7 days ago

I had the opportunity to speak to the first high school girls’ flag football teams in Racine Unified School District in Wisconsin. Our conversation was centered around greatness—and understanding that greatness doesn’t only happen on great days.

Sometimes greatness is how we show up on the hard days. When we’ve experienced loss. When hope feels far away. When we have to ask ourselves, “Am I being great in this moment?”

This is a community that has recently experienced violence and felt a loss of hope. Sports and music have a way of bringing people together. And standing on that field with these young women reminded me of what flag football has meant in my own life.

A sport I dedicated 12 years of my life to. A sport that gave me purpose at a time when I needed it. A sport that is going to be in the 2028 Olympics.

Now we’re looking at a new generation of young female athletes finding their place in that same sport.

Sometimes, in order to have hope in their future, they need somebody to show them what hope can look like. Somebody who has stood on that field, faced hard days, and kept going.

That’s what this conversation was about. Hope. Purpose. And choosing to stand in your greatness, even when the day doesn’t feel great.

Greatness is a group effort. 🏈

📸 @thesullyxp taken in Racine, Wisconsin by @thetiabanks

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8 days ago

Give children their roses

I’ve had the pleasure of investing my time here in Wisconsin with a select group of girls chosen for the Pole Pole Leadership Academy. Girls who have seen violence. Girls who have experienced grief. Girls living in a community that might feel broken.

There is healing.

I’m excited to partner with this school district to bring the Pole Pole Leadership Academy to these middle school girls.

At the end of our session, we had a rose ceremony where each girl was gifted a handpicked orange rose representing optimism—one of our greatest resilience skills. Believing there is hope, even when we can’t see it yet.

Belief. The word is so powerful, yet even adults struggle with it. But these middle school students get an opportunity to find hope.

To the school administrators who have lost hope in their students facing challenges, their students at risk, or their ability to recover through budget restrictions and leadership changes: there is still hope.

Let’s connect and talk about bringing the Pole Pole Leadership Academy to your school community. Our students deserve the opportunity to see what light looks like—and believe they can be part of it. @racineunified

📸 credit @thesullyxp by @thetiabanks

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10 days ago

Peace, y’all. Sometimes resilience starts with changing your language.

From “I’m tired” to “I’m waking up.”
From “I can’t do this” to “I’m learning how.”
From “I’m stuck” to “I’m finding my next step.”

The words we speak to ourselves matter. A small shift in language can make a big difference in how we approach the day.

Research has linked higher optimism to an 11–15% longer lifespan compared with lower optimism. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov⁠)

We don’t always choose our mountains and challenges, but we get to choose how we react and respond.

You can acknowledge that the climb is hard and still believe there’s a way forward. You can be tired and still have hope. You can pause, lean on your people, and keep making progress.

That’s using optimism to build resilience.

Don’t confuse pace for potential. Your next step still counts. 🏔️ taken in Grand Prairie, Texas by @thetiabanks

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13 days ago