Awesome Gilrs Mentoring Program

Dariel Tareka Ross

Dariel, a smiling graduate of Warren Easton High School (which benefits from the patronage of Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock), was anything but joyful the morning of February 1, 2010. Her older sister, Tra’Chel, had just died in her arms.

Dariel is a resilient girl — she has faced many difficulties and disappointments and has prevailed — but her sister's passing devastated her and her mother. But help was on the way. She was taken under the wing of the Awesome Girls Mentoring Program, which teaches African-American girls, aged 9 to 19, life-affirming behaviors and self-sufficiency. Awesome girls was the beneficiary of a grant from The Dr. Phil Foundation, and a social worker sponsored by the Foundation and the program director provided grief counseling to Dariel and her mother. Although Dariel still mourns the passing of her sister, the young woman continues to move forward. She attended all scheduled activities through graduation, and she is currently preparing to enter Dillard University in the fall. Says Dariel, "That picture [on the left] was taken in October 2009. I was really happy then ... I still had Tra’Chel. I’m coming back!”

Stevanna Bentley

Stevanna’s parents say they were afraid for her future because she was in an eighth grade class that provided more distractions than education. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Bentley say they attempted to meet with the school principal every day for more than a week, their daughter's situation remained dire.

With help from The Dr. Phil Foundation, Stevanna was able to turn her life around. The 14-year-old was being mentored by Awesome Girls Mentoring Program, and they were awarded a grant from the Foundation. A social worker sponsored by The Dr. Phil Foundation facilitated a meeting with key school personnel, counseled Stevanna and her parents, and arranged a transfer to an excellent charter school where the teen’s grades soared as she prepared to enter high school.