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TRYON— On Saturday morning, the Roseland Community Center hosted a mentorship program for young women called “D.R.E.A.M. Girls,” which stands for determined, responsible, empowered, ambitious, and motivated to dream big. 

The program was founded by Tanisha Akinloye, the CEO of Empowering Through Beauty, Inc., which is a non-profit organization that aims to transform pain into beauty within communities, particularly for women and girls. 

During the program, Akinloye and her team of mentors shared valuable insights on physical fitness, entrepreneurship, and goal achievement. Each young lady who attended the meeting received a tennis ball can filled with a notepad and pen, a snack, notes of motivation, and bubbles to blow the stress away. 

“We’re training girls to be Dream Girls. I grew up around amazing mentors I didn’t know I even had at the time,” says Akinloye. “Mentors like my mother, who was also a pastor that helped me see how important it is for young girls to have access to an empowering mentor program.”

One of the many mentors, Sarah Ream spoke about the importance of physical fitness while utilizing kickboxing workouts. “We want to show how you can get a good workout even with a small time frame,” said Ream during the program.

Eastside Advisory Board member Coretha Littlejohn praised the event, stating, “This event is great for our girls. Today’s youth have so many challenges. We’ve all come together today to help give them a solid foundation to build on.” 

The “D.R.E.A.M. Girls” mentorship program is just one example of how the Roseland Community Center and Empowering Through Beauty, Inc. are working to empower young women and girls. With the support of dedicated mentors and organizations like these, the future looks bright for the next generation of female leaders.