Tag: girls mentoring program

Let Your Light Shine!

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On September 17, 2015 we will be honoring our awardees and supporting Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program at the Together She Will Shine Reception. If you have yet to RSVP for the event, click here to get your ticket. On this day, we take time to recognize the other side of the crisis; the obstacles that stand in the way of our black girls. We recognize the work that Polished Pebbles and our awardees have done to help clear the path to success for them.

A note from our founder, Kelly Fair:

Six years ago after leaving my corporate job, I sought to fill a void and keep a girls group mentoring program going in my community just like my mentor Rev. Dr. Linda Shepherd taught me right before her sudden death. I didn’t have huge plans for the organization to be much more than a monthly place where girls and women could come together and grow personally and professionally, collectively. Since that time, we have grown from serving two girls to well over 1200 in 40 different program sites. That’s all due to family, friends, volunteers, staff, and community members who have supported our work from the start. So often, people approach this work focused on what they want to impart upon young or the needy. But, my philosophy has always been “we are drawn to this work”, not always because of what we think we have to give, but instead we are in fact the very ones in need of the most love, and growth. My confidence, self worth, skill, ability to love others unconditionally, and wisdom grows daily because of my involvement in Polished Pebbles. Join me to celebrate 6 years of our growth as a community, and the altitudes we’ll go in six more years!

Here’s an idea of how YOUR support will help to create successful futures for our young girls…

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Inside the Corporate World: Tamia Davis at ThoughtWorks

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This summer, three of our Polished Pebbles had the opportunity to intern at ThoughtWorks. Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program strives to teach young girls professional communication, behavior, and dress to thrive in future work settings. An important part of that learning process is being in a professional work setting. These girls were able to apply their Polished Pebbles knowledge in the real world. We are proud of our young women! And we want them to share their experience with you.

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My internship at ThoughtWorks was truly amazing! It gave me insightIMG_9890 into how a company runs from the inside. They really made me feel like I was part of their team. They gave us ID badges that we got to use everyday to enter the building. You never really know how something works until you have been placed in their shoes. ThoughtWorks, inside and out, is such an outstanding company and I’m glad I got to be a part of that experience with them! ThoughtWorks is not like any other company; they are unique and like no other. Everybody at the company is so friendly and did such a great job at making us feel welcome. 

During my six week adventure with ThoughtWorks I learned a numerous number of skills, such as coding, sourcing, and identifying different law documents. We even got to learn about the duties of facilities, the recruiting and hiring process, and how the money and expenses of ThoughtWorks gets reported. The first three weeks, my schedule was to go to legal contracts, lunch, and then recruiting. The second three weeks, I went to finance, lunch, and then facilities.

The most exciting part of the whole experience was prompting my first test for the new hires! I also loved how we switched into the four different departments and got to bond and learn about those departments. Another exciting part of the experience was that at the end of the program…they let us keep our MacBook Pro laptops that we did all our work on! The most challenging part of it all was trying to see what I was going to wear everyday.

Polished Pebbles has really opened up another door for me and I am so thankful to be part of such a fantastic organization. They really helped me when it came to introduction and making myself stand out so that I could leave a good impression, as I did with ThoughtWorks. I built relationships with the people there and made sure they will remember who I am. Overall, I am really grateful that I got to be part of the ThoughtWorks internship. Thanks to Polished Pebbles, my summer has been absolutely amazing and truly unforgettable!

Thank you, ThoughtWorks for providing our pebbles with such rewarding experiences!

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Life of a Pebbles Intern: Erica Rattler at ThoughtWorks

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This summer, three of our Polished Pebbles had the opportunity to intern at ThoughtWorks. Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program strives to teach young girls professional communication, behavior, and dress to thrive in future work settings. An important part of that learning process is being in a professional work setting. These girls were able to apply their Polished Pebbles knowledge in the real world. We are proud of our young women! And we want them to share their experience with you.

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During my time at Thought Works I learned many skills, such as multitasking and business etiquette. During the Internship, I had a few challenges. Some of these challengers were with remembering certain things, such as putting in time cards at the end of the week and preparing myself for scheduled meetings and presentations. However, I did manage to get better and become more ready and prepared for these tasks as I worked.

The most exciting part of the internship was everything! I loved  meeting new people and learning their diversity, working with others on assignments, collaborating with others, moving to different departments, and taking what I learned to school and other aspects of life. At ThoughtWorks, some people might think its a very strict and busy place to be, but that’s not true. An average day can be busy or laid back, depending on scheduled events. However, there is always work to be done. ThoughtWorkers are all dedicated to their work but also know when to have fun and not be a busy body all the time! Overall, I had a great time here at ThoughtWorks and I would love to come back!

Polished Pebbles has also helped in several ways. They taught me how to carry myself as a working woman and to always be myself. With all the business etiquette and influential talks, I have become a well-minded and prepared young woman.

Thank you ThoughtWorks for providing our pebbles with such an amazing learning opportunity!

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Tamia Davis: Inside Black Girls Lead!

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Black Girls Rock hosted their annual Black Girls Lead Conference this summer in New York, NY. It is an international leadership conference for young, black women to “offer girls tools and resources to become leaders, innovate, and serve confidently”. With 65 girls present from the U.S.A., Ghana, South Africa, Canada, and the UK, we are excited to announce that one of our own pebbles attended the conference! Tamia Davis, Polished Pebbles mentee and current summer intern at ThoughtWorks, attended the four day leadership conference in New York. Big thank you to the Microsoft store in Oakbrook for fully funding Tamia Davis. She learned a lot about herself and greater society during those four days and has a lot to share with you!

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How excited would you be if you got to participate in the Black Girls Rock Inc. Universal Conference–Black Girls Lead? IMG_9890Well let me tell you, it is exciting! I was among 65 girls accepted out of 500 applicants to come to New York and stay at Barnard college for their Black Girls Lead Conference. At first, I was scared because this was my first time traveling alone to a new place, especially one as big as New York. And not knowing anyone! All that fear went away when I stepped off the plane, I had a blast! 

The conference was a panel of different successful woman who taught us how to love the skin we’re in. Through the challenges they faced in their lives, they didn’t let their skin tone stop them. The founder of Black Girls Rock! Beverly Bond is an amazing person and I had the honor to meet with her. I also met with other successful women, such as Ebony Rose and Glenda Smiley, Mikki Taylor, Michaela Angela Davis, Eva Marcille, Dutches, Angela Beyonce, recording artists Lil Mama and Rhapsody, spokesman Marc Lamont Hill, and many more. They gave us lessons on how to successfully live our everyday lives. We took a variety of lessons during the four days we were there. We took dance classes at Alvin Ailey studios with one of the dance instructors, we took a poetry class with Ms. Lyrispect, and even finance classes. In between each panel they strived to build each girls confidence by having us get on stage and telling us why we rock.

imagejpeg_0It was so much fun and I really enjoyed my time in New York! I built relationships with the counselors that were watching over us, as well as the girls that came together from all over the world! Many times Ms. Glenda and Ms. Beverly Bond would play around on the mic. They came up with raps and shared them with us. It was hilarious–they are really fun loving people. Ms. Beverly Bond gave me the nickname Law and Order because I often expressed my love for law. I also met people involved with the BET foundation, such as the president of media Louis Carr and powerhouse entertainment lawyer Lisa Davis. We were even challenged to complete a 40 day social media campaign with Tai Beauchamp putting up pictures or quotes uplifting black girls with the hashtag #BGRTaiChallenge the winner gets some mystery prize. Overall, my experience in New York at Black Girls Lead was truly amazing. I’ve built connections and relationships with successful, inspiring women. For every girl at the conference this was a dream. And I am so excited to thank Polished Pebbles, who was behind me every step of the way.

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#WhatSheNeeds: College Mentors

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#WhatSheNeeds will provide insights into the experiences of black women in college. From the freshman transition to the affects of social media, these women have a lot to say! Black women are out enrolling every other group in college, but not experiencing the same high levels of success 4 years later in their careers. Through #WhatSheNeeds, we hope to learn a little more about what she needs to succeed–what did their institutions have and what were they lacking?

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#WhatSheNeeds asked our college women about mentors in college. We found that these women drew inspiration from friends, professors, sorority sisters, and even all the other women on campus. Similar to what Polished Pebbles has said about the importance of mentorship, these girls found that their mentors helped prepare them for college life and post-graduate life. Their mentors prepared them to be successful women!

Two women summed up why mentors are necessary for a successful college experience:

“College was just like a whole new experience for me. So I had questions.” –Terri Floyd

“I know for me personally, I’m more of a hands on person. So sometimes I need help or guidance outside of the classroom. I need tutors, mentors, or just students; the student body working together to thrive outside the classroom.” –Courtny Neal

And these women found people on their campus to not only answer those questions, but to guide them on their life paths.

A few had professors they could turn towards:

“Even now, I still talk to my biology professors. They helped me try and figure out my next step for graduate school and courses. That was a great impact! Specifically, there is Dr. Cynthia Burroughs in the biology department at Philander Smith College. Just by talking to her she opened my eyes to how a psychology degree can still involve science and research; so I explored that route. She taught me to feel confident in myself. Just because I’m an African American woman, I don’t have to back down from any challenge.” –Terri FloydThe word Mentor in magazine letters on a notice board

“My advisor is supposed to be the one I go to, but I find myself going to my nursing professors because I know them so much more.” –Jasmine Hosley

“I bonded so much with a professor from my health biology class. We talk all the time and she is definitely one of my big mentors that will follow me for the rest of my life. She is in the field I want to be in and gives me advice.” –Sydney Tyler

Mentors don’t have to be professors, or even people who are older than you. Just ask these women:

“There was a girl who was a Community Assistant in my dorm, she was also from Chicago. And we just clicked hanging out in the library. So whenever I had a problem socially, academically, or emotionally she was there to guide me.” –Courtny Neal

“I met this girl in my dorm who was older and she became my mentor. I brought in the Little Rock side, where I’m from, and she gave me some California. She just answered any questions that I had in regards to classes. She let me know which professors I should connect with to help me along the route I wanted to go.” –Terri Floyd

“Within my sorority, I was able to go to my sisters for support. They’re a big motivation and support for me.” –Jasmine Hosley

Brittany Colvin had the help of a program at her college:

“I was a part of Spellman Women Empowered Through Professional Training. You sit through workshops and seminars to help us become more competent, confident, and credible when we are in the work environment after graduation. We had to come to every meeting in full business attire for a corporate setting.” 

So, what did we learn from these college women this week? No matter the age, status, or type of mentor, they are essential to helping women in college be successful!

#WhatSheNeeds: Meet the Women

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Last week we introduced our series, #WhatSheNeeds. #WhatSheNeeds will provide insights into the experiences of black women in college. From the freshman transition to the affects of social media, these women have a lot to say! Black women are out enrolling every other group in college, but not experiencing the same high levels of success 4 years later in their careers. Through #WhatSheNeeds, we hope to learn a little more about what she needs to succeed–what did their institutions have and what were they lacking?

Before we start sharing these women’s thoughts, let’s meet them! Click on the photo to pull up their info!

Our Girls Ended the Year Right!

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At Polished Pebbles, we have had another exciting program year come to a close! Our girls learned effective and respectful communication skills, developed professional knowledge from job shadowing and activities, and have formed relationships with our community of mentors and mentees.

Here is a look at our 2015 year with Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program:

Looking Beyond Dolezal

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By now, most people have heard of the curious case of Rachel Dolezal. Her story has brought intrigue into issuesafrican-american-girls-experience-the-same-violence-as-boys of race, gender, and systemic oppressions. While her story has shed light on modern day racism, it is important that we look beyond Dolezal, beyond this media frenzy.

Arnesha Bowers. A lesser known name. Mic article by Darnell Moore criticizes media and society for being sucked into the world Dolezal has created. While many of us were eagerly following her twitter updates and news stories, Arnesha Bowers became a tragic victim to violence. In his words:

“What concerns me most is the fact that the theoreticals and speculations on the assumed performance of race in [Dolezal’s] story trump our ability to see and respond to the tragic material realities of race and gender in the lives of everyday black girls and women…”

He is bringing attention to the “other side of the crisis”, which Polished Pebbles has been fighting for! We have said it time and again, black girls and women are predominantly ignored by society and media–they struggle in silence with few resources to support them.

Again, Moore so wonderfully sums up the crisis:

“If we are familiar with Dolezal’s name and story — a story about a white woman who self-identifies as a black woman and purports to fight on behalf of black people — we must remain aware of the plights of black women and girls who are the victims of violence — girls like Bowers.”

Only together will she shine!

Sharing Knowledge: HBCU Nation

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As you know from our previous post, Collegiate Mentoring, Polished Pebbles is planning on expanding with College Edition. African-American women in college are just as in need of mentoring and support as younger girls. With our continued support, increasing rates of black women will be attending college and earning degrees. In fact, according to ClutchMag, black women make up the most college enrollments–now that is a success! We want this to continue. Kelly Fair has shared her hopes of providing mentoring to college students. Simply have college interns is not enough, she wants more direct, group support on campuses.

Recently on HBCU Nation, Kelly Fair shared her views on collegiate mentoring–why we need it and how we can benefit from it. Click here to give it a listen!

Tell us what you think of collegiate mentoring for African-American women? What type of support would you have wanted during your college experience?

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A Look Back: What Was Said at “On the Table”

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As many of you know, Kelly Fair lead an “On the Table” Discussion through the Chicago Community Trust. She presented on the other side of the crisis! Peel back the layers and see #blackgirlsmatter. Move past the tough exteriors and discover young vulnerable girls in need of love!

Were you unable to attend the On the Table Discussion? Don’t worry! We have a little video here for you to know the main points of the other side of the crisis and how you can help!

Let’s take a look back with this snippet:

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