“Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not.”
“I didn’t realize how many opportunities I was privileged to have, and how much they impacted my life, until I became an educator.”
Cescily Phillips
Founder and Executive Director
Cescily Phillips is an educator and social entrepreneur, working to open doors and provide access and opportunities for young people. In her ten plus years in education, Cescily has taught both middle and high school English, Reading, and Theatre. In addition to teaching, Cescily has founded a middle and high school arts department, been a founding administrator of a high school, and started an array of in-school extracurricular programs.
It has been said that “talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not.” Cescily sees a community where an opportunity gap amongst students of varying races or socioeconomic status does not exist. Where the amount of money you have or zip code you live in doesn’t dictate how prepared you are for your future. Originally from Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood, Cescily experienced firsthand the impact that amazing people and programs could have on the trajectory of your life.
“Growing up, I remember other kids in our complex thinking we were rich. I hated that they thought that, but I didn’t see my life from their perspective.
We were always at the YMCA. Probably involved in every activity available. When I got older, I could see how it looked from the outside. Other kids saw us constantly coming and going. But they didn’t know we weren’t paying for all those things. We participated through scholarships, roasted peanut sales, and my mom’s bomb networking skills.
The “Y” was one of many programs that afforded us experiences that my family's financial status couldn’t. Had it not been for all the programs I had access to growing up I guarantee my life would have been different. Not because I was any less smart or talented, but because I had less opportunities, less experiences, less access. As a junior in high school, it was a program that introduced me to college. To think, I may not have gone to college, never become a teacher, let alone administrator, and perhaps not be where I am today, seems crazy to me.”
Having had the opportunity to reach beyond her neighborhood and socioeconomic status, Cescily has a heart for giving back, and has dedicated her life to paying it forward.
With this as a driving force, Cescily decided to create Inspired Aesthetics. A place where young people, like she once was, could have access to a safe space that provides free enrichment opportunities that foster growth and learning. A space where young people can bridge the gap between their passion for the arts, and their academics and futures. A place where, where you come from doesn’t limit what you have access to. A place like the places that were given to her.
An alumna of the University of Missouri, Cescily is a proud Tiger, holding both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education.
Knowing how much access to opportunity have impacted her life, Cescily continues to seek out opportunities for growth and development. She is an alum of the Surge Academy, 4.0 Schools Essentials Fellowship, Fund for Teachers Fellowship, and Leading Educators.
Cescily is a loving and passionate wife and mother. In addition to her family, she loves traveling, having dance parties in her living room, playing basketball, good desserts, and of course the arts.