Selena Gomez is stepping up.
The songstress surprised high school students in Los Angeles with a visit in honor of the Step Up Foundation and Coach. As the designer brand's celebrity ambassador, Gomez arrived at the school looking to spread the after-school program's message of empowerment and fulfilling one's potential.
However, as Gomez told the room of teens, she wanted the atmosphere to be comfortable, casual and for everyone to feel free to get to know her, although "most of you know most of my life anyway," she joked.
The star mingled with the students, pulling up a seat to chat and impart some advice, like "love yourself first"—a message Gomez has been personally following as of late.
"Right now, I'm actually enjoying finding moments for myself," she told Today's Sheinelle Jones, noting that she's been secretly taking time in the studio lately. "I like having a little mystery to where I'm at. I think that makes me feel very empowered, very in control of where I'm at."
"I'm taking time to have a personal life," she continued. "I'm doing things that I love that I'm passionate about that I care about…it just makes me happy."
Something else that brings her happiness is lifting up young girls. "Step Up's mission to empower young women is personally important to me and something even more crucial in under-served communities," she said in a statement to People. "Working with the young women I met today was an inspirational experience I will never forget."
"It was incredible, beautiful and inspiring," the singer added on Instagram after the event. "It's crazy to me how much they are willing put others before themselves."