Caiden’s Corner | A Review of the 2025 I AM PHL Student Summit
On March 29, 2025, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 I AM PHL Student Summit at Thomas Jefferson University East Falls Campus. The best word I can use to describe my experience was “astonished.” To see dozens of Philly students spending their Saturday developing their craft was admirable. I thought back to when I was around 12-years-old, spending Saturdays on the couch watching Good Luck Charlie. As a 19-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania, I was looking up to these kids.
From the moment I arrived to help set up, there was energy in the air. Mind you, this is my first year at PhillyGoes2College, and it was my first time at an event like this. When the students started arriving, I was ecstatic.
We kicked off the day with a fireside chat between Chill Moody, Christina Faith, and Councilman At-Large Isaiah Thomas. Their words of encouragement danced throughout the room. As I stood near the front, photographing, I’d often look back to see nearly everyone — even the youngest of children — paying close attention. It was genuinely incredible to see such a large crowd of young, dedicated students basking in advice. I think, honestly, the fireside chat was beneficial to everyone in the room. If you take nothing from this issue of Caiden’s Corner, I hope you take this: never fail to listen to people. No matter your walk of life, take the time to hear stories from people outside of your discipline. Listening to people of different careers, faiths, and dreams has never failed to teach me something new, and I hope you do the same.
After that, students broke out into workshops. At this point, I remember shifting between workshops — partly for pictures, but mostly for my own learning. Honestly, I was also sneaking back to the Wawa table to grab a sandwich. I was starving. When I snuck into Kristal ‘Tyte Writer’ Oliver’s “My Music Workshop” for the third time, I literally couldn’t leave. My jaw was on the floor the whole time watching everyone write lyrics, sing, and produce a song about how much they love Philadelphia. And it was really catchy! I’m still singing it to this day.
Following the open mic, I was genuinely so impressed and somewhat emotional. Hearing Philly students play their instruments, read slam poetry, and rap was incredible. As the day came to a close, I felt nothing but gratitude.
In my experience at the 2025 I AM PHL Student Summit, I found that there is an unmatched community in Philly. Students, I urge you to lean on that community and discover your passion, whatever it may be. There are so many avenues for creative success, especially in Philly, and I hope you chase your dreams.
Though we are no longer accepting submissions for the I AM PHL Contest, it’s never too late to start producing a song, painting a picture, or writing a poem for next year! Check out the 2025 I AM PHL Contest landing page for more information!
As always, best of luck!
Caiden
