My name is Widdlack Widdlack (Nyahwedegwe), and Young & Rising is a vision that has been growing with me for many years.
The idea was born in 2016 during a mentorship session that I attended. During that session, I was challenged to think about my future and identify something meaningful I wanted to contribute to the world. I was encouraged to write down a vision that was bigger than my current circumstances and that might take years to achieve.
Among the things I wrote down that day was a dream of creating a platform that could support the growth and mentorship of young people.
At the time, I knew I was not yet ready.
I believed that if I was going to build something that could genuinely help young people, I first needed to invest in my own growth. I needed more knowledge, more experience, more exposure, and more wisdom. So I made a decision to focus on learning, serving, building, and growing, trusting that the vision would come to life at the right time.
Over the years, I pursued academic training, gained professional experience, served in ministry, worked in community development, built technology solutions, and experienced the joys and responsibilities of family life.
Today, I am privileged to serve in several roles that have shaped my understanding of people and their journeys. I am a Counselling Psychologist with a Master of Science (MSc) in Counselling Psychology, a Pastor with at least seven years of ministry experience, a Development Practitioner with more than seven years of experience, a Systems Developer with over ten years of experience, a husband, and a father.
Each of these roles has taught me valuable lessons about life, relationships, purpose, leadership, personal growth, and the challenges that young people face every day.
Throughout my work, I have met many young people who are talented, capable, and full of potential, yet often struggle with questions such as:
- Who am I?
- What am I good at?
- Why do I think differently from other people?
- What career should I pursue?
- Am I ready for a relationship?
- Why do I keep making the same mistakes?
- How do I build a meaningful future?
I created Young & Rising to help people explore those questions, understand their patterns, and make more informed choices for themselves.
My vision is to provide a structured place where people can discover themselves, understand their strengths, identify areas for growth, reflect on relationships and life situations, and use practical resources that support their personal-development journey.
Personality reflection is the organizing framework of the platform. It provides a working map that connects users to relevant assessments, educational guidance, relationship conversations, reflection prompts, resources, and practical next steps. A result is not a diagnosis, a permanent identity, or a decision about what someone must do.
Young & Rising is designed for self-guided reflection and personal development. It does not provide psychotherapy, medical or psychiatric care, diagnosis, or emergency support. Some private interpersonal features, including the Relationship Dynamics Analyzer and Mentorship Room, are currently available only to confirmed adults while stronger safeguards for younger users are developed.
Young & Rising is currently offered free of charge as my personal social investment. I believe that mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for growth should not be reserved only for those who can afford them.
As resources allow, I intend to continue building this platform, adding carefully governed reflection tools, assessments, mentoring resources, and learning opportunities that can benefit people across communities, countries, and generations.
My hope is simple: that Young & Rising becomes a trusted self-discovery and growth resource as people navigate life, relationships, careers, leadership, entrepreneurship, faith, and personal growth.
If this platform helps even one young person discover their purpose, make a wiser decision, build a healthier relationship, or pursue a brighter future, then it is already fulfilling its mission.
Thank you for being part of this journey.