In the midst of the pandemic, with her job becoming increasingly stressful and her mom in cancer treatment many states away, this month’s PowHERful woman of distinction, journalist Mikayla Newton, says her life felt out of control. “I worried every day when I woke up and before I closed my eyes to go to sleep. There I was, in upstate NY at a job I’d worked so hard to find, so far from my family… My life and my work became more and more stressful as Covid spread. Nothing felt solid anymore.”

But Mikayla found the courage to hold fast. And now, four years later, established as a television reporter/anchor for a news station in Washington, D.C., she cannot hide her enthusiasm….

A triple board-certified physician specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine, Aviva Kamath was on the search for a cause to which she could dedicate her time outside of work. Then she attended a PowHERful (then Starfish) Foundation gala, and knew she’d found it. “After that incredibly moving evening,” she says, “I signed up with PowHERful to be a mentor. I always wanted to give back on a grass roots level and share with high school girls the invaluable lessons I’ve learned….” As so often happens, one mentor is created in the footsteps of another. Aviva follows the lead of the highly revered Sharon Sheppard of Rockville Centre, NY. A nurse by training, Sharon began as a volunteer at the MLK Community Center….

In her speech for Soledad O’Brien’s acceptance of the 2023 Champion of Children award, PowHERful scholar Deshawna Henry shared how she came through an early life of hardship to achieve success in her schooling and career.

“I am originally from the West Indies on a small island called St. Croix. My mom relocated my siblings and me to the United States when I was around 7 or 8 years old. We moved to Orlando, and I thought it was so cool…. Unfortunately, things did not shape up the way we’d hoped. Shortly after we arrived, my mother became very ill; she went on dialysis and could not work….

“When I learned about PowHERful Foundation’s mentorship program during the 2022 Gracies Leadership Awards, I immediately expressed my interest in getting involved to support young women with big dreams.”

Lisa Setyon, a trilingual French-raised journalist, knows the value of mentorship. Currently pursuing a second master’s degree in Data Science and Journalism at Stanford University, she speaks from experience, “I benefited from great mentors. And I have always strived to give back and help support others in any way I can….

It was in the forest of Burma (Myanmar) that Paw Paw’s education began. “Life was hard. I remember when I was six years old, I started school. My school was in the forest. There was no building, no electricity, no desks. We were sitting on the ground. The teacher used rocks as a chalkboard. As a student, I used a flat rock to write on and a pencil as chalk. At night, I sat near the fireplace to see and do my homework.”

These days, post-college, Paw Paw works as a Provider Data Services Analyst at Infosys. With PowHERful’s Scholarship support, she completed the four-year college degree and established a career.

It began as a simple idea: to set aside a day that encourages people to do good. From its inception in 2013, GivingTuesday has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

You can join this global community by helping PowHERful support girls and young women who work to beat the odds and get into, and through, college. These young women, thanks to higher education and the opportunities it affords, will go on to generate positive change in their families and their communities, making a better world for all.

Our scholars work hard and do their very best all semester long. We take to heart their day-to-day needs, and seek to support them through all the practical demands of college.

With your help, our girls and young women will have access to warm nutritious food, mental health support, rain gear and coats that protect them from winter storms, school supplies from computers to pencils, and dorm room essentials that make for a cozy space to study and to sleep safely at night….

As you know, the demands of college are many—and they tend to build over the course of the semester and the years required to complete a degree. Now, mid-semester, two PowHERful scholars relate for us the challenges they’re facing and how they’re working through them.

Naina, at University of Connecticut: Needless to say, midterms can be stressful. There is a lot of studying and preparation that must be done before the exams, and it can be rather overwhelming, especially for full-time students like me, taking multiple classes per semester.

Izzy, at Susquehanna University: You’re right—there were days when I thought I wouldn’t even make it to my senior year of college!

PowHERful is thrilled to announce that Soledad O’Brien has been named Foundation, Inc.’s 2023 Champion of Children. This prestigious award is presented each year by the national education organization to an individual demonstrating outstanding commitment to supporting our nation’s most vulnerable children and helping them achieve brighter futures through quality education. This goal is central to PowHERful’s focus as it continues to empower girls on their journey to and through college.

Sally Thomas has already changed the world. One of PowHERful’s current mature scholars, Sally came to the realization that “I was on this earth to help people heal.” For twenty years she provided hands-on care to patients as a Certified Nursing Assistant, a job she found “genuinely humbling, it makes you appreciate others.” Now, as a PowHERful Scholar, she’s earning a degree as an RN (Registered Nurse), a qualification that will allow her to go even further in her calling….

For the first fourteen years of her life, Tara Mishra lived with her family in Bhutanese Refugee Camp in Nepal. Then, ten years ago, she left the camp with her parents, three sisters, and younger brother to settle in Hartford, CT. Adjusting to dramatic differences in language and culture, Tara attended public school in Hartford and went on, with PowHERful’s support, to graduate from the University of Saint Joseph in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work. “PowHERul means Resilient Me,” she says. “The Foundation has helped me financially and emotionally – I always felt supported.”

Ashley Thomas was born in New York City and raised in Virginia. “I spent my whole life planning to become a teacher. My paternal grandmother, a NYC public school teacher for 35 years, inspired me—she taught me to read and write, and I developed a love for reading that I wanted to instill in children.”

Ashley attended Hostos Community College, included childhood education in her studies….

“I am Deshawna Henry, a PowHERful scholar from the West Indies. In 2019, I earned my bachelor’s degree at Southern University and A&M College in Computer Science and Information Systems. Before graduation, I participated in the first IBM Blue Hackathon in Atlanta, GA, a 48-hour team building and software development competition for HBCUs. In 2020, I was recruited for an internship at IBM following the success of the Hackathon….

PowHERful scholars' cultural evening of Macbeth on Broadway was made complete by the gift of two books, both memoirs written by inspiring women whose successes have been won through character, conviction, and perseverance. These motivating reads are Sanya Richards-Ross's Chasing Grace and Bevy Smith's Bevelations.

On April 20th, three PowHERful scholars enjoyed an inspiring evening at the current Broadway production of Macbeth, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. All three expressed their gratitude to PowHERful and PowHERful’s generous sponsor, The Opportunity Network, for making their cultural outing possible.

Perseverance has served Paw K' Mwee well. A Dean’s List awardee this past semester for her outstanding academic achievements at the University of Saint Joseph, she says “I’m proud to be able to make it this far,” and “without PowHERful support and care I would not have been here today.”

For her brilliant academic performance, PowHERful scholarship recipient Sally Thomas made the Dean’s List at Lehman College (CUNY) this past semester.

Further, she’s been asked to be part of the college’s Mentor Collective. She’s excited to mentor new students and help them navigate college, from class selection, study and remote learning, to the personal challenges that will be inevitably faced.

“Reflecting on how the pandemic affected me is proving to be more difficult than expected. The first few months were terrifying and brought with it an enormous amount of anxiety, enlightenment, and curiosity. I was able to help care for ICU patients, in the trenches, for a very brief time during the first wave in New Orleans. That proved to me that I made a sound decision in advancing to become a nurse practitioner….

“COVID has impacted my life in several ways. From wearing masks all the time to practicing social distancing, one of the biggest ways COVID has impacted me was starting a job from home. My job would usually require me to drive every morning, and socialize with my coworkers. However, I have my own space at the comfort of my home, where we have occasional virtual meetings and I get up and stretch at any time. I can even play with my puppy!”

Sheba joined the #PowHERful Foundation in its early days. Today, Sheba shares how she was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This pandemic has really opened my eyes to how quickly things can change. Before the pandemic, gathering with friends and family was just an everyday part of life. I work in the news industry, and I love interviewing and interacting with people….