>>> SHE SAYS , AS A YOUNG BLACK GIRL GROWING UP IN CHICAGO, HER PARENTS WERE HER BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS, NOT UNTIL SHE SAW HER PEERS STRUGGLE WITH SELF-CONFIDENCE THAT SHE REALIZED NOT EVERYONE GOT THE SAME ENCOURAGEMENT AT HOME.

SHE DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND BECAME A MENTOR.

SHE GIVES WORDS ON WHY SHE SAYS BLACK GIRLS NEED MORE ROLE MODELS AND WHY YOU SHOULD GIVE IT A TRY.

>> I AM FOUNDER AND CEO OF LADIES OF VIRTUE MY FATHER SAID , YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO.

MY MOTHER WAS THE SAME WHITE.

SHE SAID I COULD ACCOMPLISH MY DREAMS.

I TOOK MY PARENTS FOR GRANTED AND DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL MY JUNIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, ALL PARENTS ARE NOT INSTILLING THOSE POSITIVE WORDS TO KIDS .

I SAW HOW SOME OF MY FRIENDS TOOK A DOWNWARD TURN .

THAT IS WHEN I REALIZED THAT ROLE MODELS CAN CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES.

THAT IS WHY I STARTED MENTORING.

I HAVE NOT LOOKED BACK.

I STARTED LADIES VIRTUE IN 2011 , THIS IS OUR 12th YEAR.

WE STARTED WITH SIX GIRLS IN THE LIBRARY AND NO WE HAVE OVER 500 GIRLS THIS YEAR AND IN 18 PROGRAMS WITH 27 PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

THERE IS A LOT OF -- WE KNOW WHAT THE WORLD IS SAYING ABOUT BLACK GIRLS.

THEY SAY BLACK GIRLS HAVE THE HIGHEST DISCIPLINARY RATE, SUSPENSION RATE, WE KNOW THAT BLACK GIRLS ARE RESILIENT, STRONG, PASSIONATE , CREATIVE , THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON BLACK GIRLS SO WE CAN CHANGE THE NARRATIVE AND SHOW OUR GIRLS ARE EMPOWERED TO BECOME CONFIDENT AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN LEADERS .

THEY WANT TO BECOME AROUND MENTORS AND ADULTS.

THEY WANT TO SEEK OUT POSITIVE ROLE MODELS AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE.

IF YOU ARE LISTENING AND THIS EXCITES YOU, BECOME A MENTOR AND GIVE BACK TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

COME AND JOIN US.

YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPOSE GIRLS TO A WORLD THEY MAY NOT HAVE EVEN CONSIDERED.

WE ARE SEEING SO MANY POSSIBILITIES OPENING UP FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS, GIRLS WHO ARE OBTAINING THEIR GOALS AND THEIR DREAMS BECAUSE THE SEED WAS PLANTED.

WE NEED TO NURTURE THE GIFT ALREADY WITHIN THEM SO THEY CAN FULLY REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL.

>> LADIES OF VIRTUE IS LOOKING FOR NEW PARTICIPANTS FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR AS APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON AUGUST 31st.

THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING