In Makayla Nash’s work as a Restorative Practices Specialist for Metro Nashville Public Schools,  she works with families whose average household income is under $18,500 a year. As one might imagine, covering the basic needs for many is a struggle and buying well-made, name brand clothing is typically not as accessible to these families.

As Makayla began to form connections with the students at the school, she soon learned that a majority of her student’s absences and behavior incidents stemmed from them not feeling confident in the clothing that they were wearing. Coming from similar backgrounds as the children she currently serves, she is familiar with the mental health and feelings of a child who is without. Fortunately, Makayla Nash is now in the position to give back. 

It didn’t take much to imagine what a difference it would make for students to be able to wear clothes — known as “drip” — that would make them feel comfortable and boost their self-esteem. The idea of a name brand clothing drive started to take shape, and so the “Drip Drive” was born! Makayla put out the word [through social media, word of mouth, and through broadcasting of multiple news stations] and for 12 weeks, she collected new and gently used kids clothing. More than 1,500 items were donated. Young people continue to inspire her. Seeing the impact that the 2022 Drip Drive made has caused Makayla to continue to increase her goal of providing students with access to resources — tackling chronic absenteeism and negative behavior while raising self-esteem and building self-confidence, to now reach students across the district, state, and eventually, the nation. 

This past March, Makayla Nash was able to present the Drip Drive to the State Representative of Tennessee. As a result, she has begun a private foundation, known as the Confidence Campaign, to help further expand the Drip Drive across the United States during the 2023-2024 school year — including Dayton, Ohio!