Earlier this month, I attended the Women of Tomorrow (WOT) Metro Detroit Annual Graduation Luncheon at The Henry in Dearborn.
Program founder, Jennifer Valoppi, started with just 23 founding mentors in 1997 who would meet with small groups of at-risk girls in public high schools once a month to discuss ways to overcome obstacles and provide skills for success.
The program now operates in over 180 public high schools and reaches approximately 4,000 Mentees with its network of 500 Mentors.
Our Detroit chapter was founded by Florine Mark, CEO of Weight Watchers. She and Board Member/donor, Laurie Cunnington, were present to see 200 young ladies graduate in this year’s ceremony. Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence delivered a touching keynote sharing her personal story of overcoming adversity and being raised by her inspirational grandmother in Detroit.
One comment that stuck with me was when Congresswoman Lawrence stated, “I am my grandmother’s legacy”. Cheers to all the strong women who never give up and focus on what’s possible!
BTW, I will be speaking to the Women’s Division for Project Hope, June 2nd, on the topic of Legacy. Specifically, The Life You Lead is the Legacy you Leave. I’m so thrilled to be speaking on this topic, because it’s one of the most important, yet difficult topics that most of us will ever deal with, because it answers these three questions:
- Who am I?
- Why am I here?
- And have I made a difference?
Legacy is not just about money, it’s what people think, feel and remember when they speak or hear your name. During the speech, I will be sharing ways to pass on your life story along with the all the appropriate planning. Plus I have an exciting new workshop that I’ll be introducing that day. If you want to explore your life story and planning your life and legacy, feel free to schedule a time to chat by visiting www.talkwithkatana.com for a complimentary consultation. Or join our free community at www.katanaabbott.com
