J5 Experience: SNEAKERS, SIPS and DREAMS CELEBRATED
C.S. Howard
It was a “Tea Experience, with Sneakers, Sips and Dreams” when J5 Experience celebrated the daughters and mothers in its program with the beautiful Selby Gardens in Sarasota as the backdrop last month. J5’s mission is to inspire daughters and mothers through advocacy, education and support, but this year in an effort to show that strong families are built on unity, fathers and sons were included.
Nearly 60 were in attendance at the event.
“Together, we are transforming lives and ensuring every child has the resources to pursue their dreams,”
said Jae Langston D. Williams, advisory board member and program chair. Keynote speaker was Dawnyelle Singleton.
Makaya Moran received this year’s 2025 Dream Pusher Award. Moran was recognized for her volunteerism and support of the program where she also serves as a board member. She is a Certified Speech/ Language Pathologist at Emma E. Booker Elementary School, and has been employed by Sarasota County Schools since 1988.
J5 Experience founder Sherry Martin started the program in an effort to reach mothers and daughters to make a difference in their lives. “By equipping girls with essential life skills and empowering them to reach their full potential, we strive to break the cycle of poverty and create a brighter future for both mothers and daughters,” she said. Martin has over a decade of experience in the family childcare business. Since 2011, she has served as a Varying Exceptionality Pre-K teacher at Emma E. Booker Elementary School. She is a graduate of Bethune Cookman University and Nova Southeastern University, and her unwavering commitment to empowering young girls and single mothers drives the core values of J5 Experience.
Founded in 2017, J5 Experience, Inc. emerged from a heartfelt vision to establish a mentoring group dedicated to young girls raised by single mothers. Among other goals, it is committed to achieving specific goals such as strengthening the mother/daughter bond, nurturing strong connections between mothers and daughters, and fostering a supportive and loving environment that empowers both generations and overcoming educational barriers by helping girls overcome obstacles in their academic journeys, ensuring they achieve acceptable attendance rates and overcome challenges they may encounter at school.
