Built Different: A’Santianna Austin on Epilepsy, Resilience, Youth Advocacy & Owning Your Calling (Inspirational)

What if the very challenge you think is holding you back is actually the thing meant to launch you into your purpose?

In this deeply inspirational and motivational podcast episode, Reginald D sits down with A’Santianna Austin is a 20-year-old award-winning author, speaker, poet, youth advocate and 2027 Grammy Nominated Spoken Word Artist — for a powerful, life-affirming motivational speech conversation on identity, resilience, faith, and purpose.  Less than one year after graduating college, A’Santianna published her debut book, "Melanated, Not Black," a poetic exploration of identity, culture, and self-definition.  "Melanated, Not Black," is now being used in public, private and alternative schools as well as juvenile detention centers. A’Santianna has also toured nationally and performed at HBCU's and college events.  A’Santianna leads Project 500 to empower 500 youth through literacy, mentorship and identity.

Diagnosed with severe epilepsy at just eight years old, A’Santianna turned adversity into impact through storytelling, advocacy, and service. This inspirational motivational episode explores how challenges don’t disqualify you—they refine you—and how faith, self-belief, and action can motivate you to rise beyond limitations and live with purpose.

Many people—especially young adults—feel limited by their health, background, identity, or circumstances. This inspirational and motivational speech-driven episode speaks directly to listeners who feel unseen, unheard, or underestimated. Through.

Press play now to experience this inspirational and motivational speech conversation and walk away empowered to turn your pain into purpose and your story into impact.

A’Santianna's  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asantiannanijean

Purchase A’Santianna's book on Amazon:

Amazon.com: MELANATED NOT BLACK: 9798262452439: AUSTIN, ASANTIAN

Transcript

Reginald D: Welcome to Real Talk with Reginald D. I'm your host, Reginald D On today's episode, I have A’Santianna Austin.

A’Santianna is a 20 year old, award winning author, speaker and Youth Advocate.

At 8 years old, she was diagnosed with epilepsy and turned that adversity into purpose through storytelling.

Asanteona is the author of Melanated no Black which is being used in public private schools and juvenile detention centers.

She also uses her voice to uplift underserved youth and single mothers of children with disabilities.

She is proof that your challenges don't disqualify you, they refine you.

Welcome to the show.

 A’Santianna : Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Reginald D: Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. So can you tell us a little bit about your childhood and where you grew up?

 A’Santianna : Of course.

So I grew up here in Springfield, Illinois,

about three hours from Chicago, outside the bigger cities.

A little bit about my childhood. You know, I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 8 and I feel like I didn't really have much of a childhood,

but in a way I feel like that kind of paid off because now I get to experience things that,

you know, most adults don't get to experience until like their 40s or 50s maybe.

So I felt like it was kind of a blessing in disguise and I didn't realize it until, you know, later in life.

Reginald D: Right.

So A’Santianna you just talked about, you know, it was a blessing in disguise. So your story actually carries wisdom beyond your years. When you look back at your journey so far,

what moment forced you to grow up emotionally faster than your peers and how did it shape who you are today?

 A’Santianna : I feel like having seizures, it definitely forced me to kind of grow up faster. And I say that because,

you know, they didn't think I was going to make it, you know, past 12 years old with as many seizures as I was having. So I had to take things very serious, like my habits, school,

and what I want to do with life. And I don't think I figured out what I wanted to do with life until about, I'd say, a year or so ago.

So I'm very grateful for that.

Reginald D: Yeah, but see, you're just 20 years old. A lot of people out here, 50, still don't know what they want to do with their life.

Yeah, and that's good that you figured it out at a younger age. That means you have more longevity at doing it.

So you've been open about navigating severe epilepsy while pursuing excellence.

How did living with a serious health challenge redefine your understanding of Strength and self worth.

 A’Santianna : I feel like it's allowed me to turn my biggest obstacle into my greatest strength. I get to help others do the same thing,

and I get to write about it. I get to travel.

And not too long ago, I started a foundation with another young man who has a disability. And we call it the Might as well Be Both Foundation. It's a foundation for single mothers who are raising kids with disabilities.

Reginald D: That's very awesome because I tell you, I really believe that sometimes we go through challenges just to be a blessing to somebody else when it's all said and done.

 A’Santianna : Absolutely.

Reginald D: Yeah. So we don't know what's going on in the beginning, but as we go through it, you begin to see it. You know, what it's really, really about.

Let me ask you this. Your book, Melanated Not Black, speaks boldly about identity and ancestry.

Can you tell us about your book and what do you want young people, especially those still trying to find themselves,

to understand about owning their own identity?

 A’Santianna : Unapologetically,

this is strictly for young men, but young women as well. I feel like, you know,

I kind of wanted them to take away that it's okay to feel your feelings.

It's okay to not know who you are yet. But in the midst of not knowing who you are and feeling your feelings, find yourself, ask questions,

learn about yourself, where you come from,

the people who came before you, all that kind of stuff.

Reginald D: Yeah, I think history really gives you a roadmap of a lot of things, especially your ancestry and all that kind of stuff, because you understand why you have certain gifts, why you have certain talents, why you have a certain drive, you know, and things like that.

When you go look back at your ancestors to see what they've done and what they were all about.

 A’Santianna : Absolutely 100%.

Reginald D: Now, A’Santianna, you've achieved so much at a young age. Author,

poet,

speaker,

athlete, and a 2027 Grammy spoken word nominee.

What's the unseen side of your journey that people don't talk about enough?

 A’Santianna : Unseen side is success is different for everybody.

But I feel like the unseen side is all the praying,

praying and more praying. You know,

God is the number one thing, honestly. There's no secret,

right?

Reginald D: Exactly.

 A’Santianna : You just pray and you work hard.

Reginald D: That's it. That's it. Like to say he's the number one.

 A’Santianna : That's it. That's honestly it.

Reginald D: Yeah, that's it. God and hard work. That's all. That's what recipe?

 A’Santianna : That's it. That's the secret.

Reginald D: Yeah,

yeah. That creates this recipe for success. Those two things.

Because there's going to be times you in a situation where,

you know, you. You know what you want, you know, you got the grind, you got the hard work, but then you kind of can't see the other side of this whole thing.

That's when God is just stepping in and showing you, hey, this is how it's going to go. This is what you're supposed to do.

Always guidance.

 A’Santianna : Absolutely. I will say, remember what you prayed for. No, because there are times where I have to remember what I prayed for and how far I've come. Because there are times, you know, I don't feel like I'm successful enough, or I wish I had that, or, you know, I wish I had this.

But, you know, you have to remember the nights that you prayed for, you know, where you are at.

Reginald D: Right,

Exactly.

And that's it. A lot of times, you know, I tell people,

when you go to God and you pray,

leave it there. Don't pick it back up and take it with you.

With him. He'll work it out. You know, he'll work it out.

 A’Santianna : Absolutely.

Reginald D: Yeah. The timing is in your favor. It might not be what you want, but the timing is in your favor when it's all said and done.

So as a collegiate athlete, balancing training,

academics,

and advocacy,

how do you stay mentally focused and spiritually grounded when pressure starts to build up?

 A’Santianna : So I'm actually not a collegiate athlete anymore. I was when I first went off to college, but I realized, you know, athletics wasn't for me. And that's when I kind of found my purpose, which is writing.

And I'm still a student, so balancing you know, my spiritual life, working, traveling,

honestly, I just pray about it.

It's all what I want. So it's never nothing that I don't want.

Reginald D: Right,

right.

So between worlds suggests us living between identities, expectations, and realities.

Can you share a time when you felt caught between who the world expected you to be and who you knew you truly were?

 A’Santianna : Yes. So, honestly, there's this story. We've always had this person in my family. We've expected to succeed and be that person who can go on, be successful.

But I feel like it wasn't me. And, you know, because of my disability,

but now that I've gotten this far in my career, I feel like there's this expectation for me to go on and be this,

you know, New York Times bestselling author that goes and travels around the world.

Reginald D: Yeah, that's awesome.

As you go through life and like you're doing right now, especially At a young age, which is remarkable.

You know, as you go through life, you're growing, and especially when you know what you want,

things are going to grow much faster for you.

 A’Santianna : Absolutely.

Reginald D: It's going to grow much faster for you. You're going to be like, whoa,

like,

what is happening? You know, but it's going to all be for the good. But as long as you know what you want, it will keep growing.

 A’Santianna : And I've already had a few of those whoa moments.

Reginald D: Right.

So through Project 500, you committed yourself to serving underserved youth and single mothers of children with disabilities.

Can you tell me about that?

Also, what personal experience moves you from empathy into action?

 A’Santianna : So Project 500 is basically a movement keeping that many children out of,

you know, the incarceration system,

keeping that many children from being underserved. And then the single mother thing is my foundation.

Honestly, I was raised by a single mother, so it kind of hits close to home.

Reginald D: Yeah, I bet it does.

 A’Santianna : Yeah. And so we work really hard to make sure that, you know, everybody, especially the kids we worked with at the alternative schools, with the NAACP schools here in our community, we work really closely to make sure they have everything that they need.

We donate things to them. We spend time with them to make sure, you know, that their stories are heard. When they want to talk, they can always talk to us, no matter how busy we are.

Volunteer our time, you know, weekly.

Reginald D: Yeah, that's very special. That is very, very, very special because it's a difference. When you have, you know,

parents together taking on a challenge versus a single parent, single mother taking on a challenge,

it's a lot tougher because I grew up with a single mother in a single mother house, and I knew how tough it was for her just to, you know, make ends meet and all that kind of stuff.

 A’Santianna : Absolutely.

Reginald D: A’Santianna, Many young people struggle with feeling invisible or unheard of through storytelling. How do you help others realize that their voice and their story actually matters?

 A’Santianna : So this is a good one.

I visit the alternative schools, the NAACP schools, and juvenile detention centers.

They'll tell me things that they're going through,

you know, to a comfortable setting. And I'll write it down, or they'll type it up and send it to me via Google Doc. And I'll use that and I'll put it in the story, just like I'm doing now with my Between Worlds book coming out in the spring.

Reginald D: Okay. And when you talk to them, what feeling does that give you?

 A’Santianna : Honestly,

it makes me feel good, but I just talk to them like they're normal humans because they are, you know, they're not any different from you or me. They're not any different from the president,

the mayor,

from any celebrity that you'll meet. They're just normal humans.

And,

you know, you just gotta talk to them like they are normal humans. You can't talk to them like they've made bad decisions because, you know, we've all made bad decisions.

But they're just paying for their bad decisions.

Reginald D: Right? Exactly.

Exactly.

So if you could sit across from a young person who feels limited by their circumstances,

health, or bad enough,

what truth would you want them to hear from you directly?

 A’Santianna : You have to learn how to turn your biggest obstacle into your greatest strength. You can't keep, you know, putting yourself into these boxes because that's exactly how society is going to want you to see yourself.

You know, limited.

But there's no limit to what you can do.

There's none, you know,

if the person across from you can do it, so can you.

Reginald D: Well said. Well said.

So looking ahead, how do you want your legacy to be defined?

Not just by your achievements, but by the lives you've impacted along the way?

 A’Santianna : I feel like I want people to know me as the person.

How as, you know, the person who helped people, the person who actually cared, the person who sit down and talk to you, you know, no matter what you were going through, the person you could just always call and something was wrong.

Reginald D: Right. And that makes a special person.

 A’Santianna : Right.

Reginald D: It makes you a go to person. You know, everybody can call anybody for anything, but when the rubber hit the road,

you know, everybody has that go to person, Right?

 A’Santianna : Absolutely.

Reginald D: So can you name one person that inspires you?

 A’Santianna : My mom definitely has to be my mom.

Reginald D: And why is that?

 A’Santianna : She's just a really hard working person.

She's worked really hard, you know, to make sure that I had a good head on my shoulders. And, you know, I just want to be able to give back to her and the way that she's poured into me my entire life.

Reginald D: Exactly as good children. Should I tell you what?

 A’Santianna : Absolutely.

Reginald D: Yeah. Yeah.

So, Santiana, I have what I call rapid fire questions.

There's no right or wrong answer. I'm just going to shoot them to you and then you just give me an answer.

 A’Santianna : Okay, let's do it.

Reginald D: All right. One word that best describes who you are becoming right now.

 A’Santianna : I'd say important.

Reginald D: Okay, I said greatness. But another question. What's something you had to learn about yourself earlier than most people your age?

 A’Santianna : There's no limit to what I Can do.

Reginald D: Got it, Got it. When life or your health feels overwhelming, what keeps you moving forward?

 A’Santianna : Prayer.

Reginald D: Exactly. What message do you want young people to hear when they feel unseen or misunderstood?

 A’Santianna : Honestly,

give your life to God and you'll see a big difference in the things you feel like you can accomplish versus the things you feel like you can't accomplish.

Reginald D: That's good. That's good. So finish this sentence. My story matters because.

 A’Santianna : My story matters because of the lives I've impacted.

Reginald D: Awesome. Awesome. So what's next for you? What are your biggest dream, your biggest goal? That one big thing and you saying, man, I got to get this done.

 A’Santianna : I mean, the ultimate goal is to retire my mom, but you know, next New York Times best selling author for sure,

go on tour for my poetry.

And we're hoping to, you know, hit 5,000 for our single mother goal.

Reginald D: Okay, that's awesome. That's awesome. At 20 years old, man, that's dynamic because 20 years old, you know, people 20 years old, you know what a lot of them doing,

you know, they're not doing what you want.

 A’Santianna : Absolutely.

Reginald D: And I know I wasn't doing what you were doing when I was 20, I'll tell you that, man. So it's a blessing. It's a blessing.

 A’Santianna : It is. And I think God prepared me for it early in life when he gave me that disability.

Reginald D: Yes, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Now I want to ask you this because as I talk to you,

I see something like global.

I feel global. I feel world, worldwide. You know,

what is one thing you feel that you can bring to the whole world to make a difference,

change.

 A’Santianna : A change of perspective?

Reginald D: And why you say that?

 A’Santianna : I. I feel like the world needs to change perspective.

I feel like I say that because, you know, I feel like I'm very different.

I've always known that.

I never wanted to work a 9 to 5. I've always known that, you know, I can make people see things differently.

Reginald D: And see, that's a gift that you have. You know that, right?

 A’Santianna : Absolutely. Yes, sir.

Reginald D: Yeah, most people can't persuade people, you know, they can talk to them, but they can't persuade them.

 A’Santianna : Absolutely.

Reginald D: So A’Santianna, can you tell my listeners how they can purchase your book or follow your journey on social media?

 A’Santianna : You can follow my Instagram. That's where I mainly post all my updates, accomplishments and just my daily go to's.

Reginald D: So I'll tell you what, I have really enjoyed talking with you. I'm really inspired by you.

I'm really praying for you and all your endeavors and I can do anything to support you and what you out there doing.

Reach out to me,

man.

 A’Santianna : I appreciate that. I really do.

Reginald D: Yeah. Because you're a special person.

You are a special person,

and don't forget that. You got something on you that's different.

So you got to walk different. You got to act different. You see what I'm saying?

 A’Santianna : Yes, sir. Absolutely.

Reginald D: Yes. So there you have it. A’Santianna Austin, thank you so much.

 A’Santianna : Thank you. It was a pleasure.

Reginald D: Likewise. Likewise.

Thank you for listening to Real Talk with Reginald D. If you enjoyed listening to Real Talk with Reginal D, please rate and review on our podcast. See you next time.