Set in Harlem, the film tells the story of Kalani Johnson (JoiStaRR), a driven 18-year-old high school student who dreams of getting accepted into Yale University while facing the challenging life in the projects and streets of Harlem - with her only ally being college counselor Mr. Rose (Danny Glover).

[1][2] In June 2019, it screened in competition at the American Black Film Festival in Miami,[3][4][5] and won the Jury Award for "Best Screenplay".

The events of the film loosely take place around the housing projects of the Polo Grounds Towers in Coogan's Bluff.

[citation needed] "While the independent film scene is not lacking for human interest stories, Strive finds a place all its own, Rippberger able to balance the uplifting themes well among the more harrowing setbacks of a young woman’s life.

Led by a deeply personal performance, the takeaway in all this is less about the broader strokes of a story filled with many affecting moments but more so the smaller intimate highlights that pull us into Kalani’s tiny corner, where we all feel part of what it means to be alive.