A special thanks to the 350 community members who joined us in downtown Seattle to celebrate the accomplishments and support the goals of Powerful Voices and the girls we serve. With your support, we raised approximately $104,000 for our programs.

A special thank you to Nhautrey our Youth Emcee and Powerful Voices Alumnae who shared her experiences in the programs at Powerful Voices. Her exceptional speech truly touched the audience and inspired all of our guests, “Powerful Voices programs have been instrumental in my maturity and growth. I know that I am now better informed on many aspects of life because of Girls RAP and DYVAS. I am better equipped to deal with issues that may come my way because I know that I have a voice and as long as I’m educated, healthy and have a sense of humor, that voice will be heard and I can make a difference.”

Three additional girls from our programs provided the audience with personal performances and were interviewed by our keynote speaker. These girls shared their experiences with Powerful Voices and some of their goals for the future. Thank you to Aubrehet, Sara and Karshella for your talent and strength.

Keynote Speaker, Jaye J. Fenderson a former senior admission officer at Columbia University, spoke about her passion for creating greater awareness about the college admission process and her use of the entertainment medium to educate students and families about what it takes to get into college. She spoke about how students miss out on opportunities to grow and become the best versions of themselves because they don’t have parents or schools or the media, for that matter, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and showing them the practical steps to achieving those dreams.

The luncheon proved that we each have a responsibility to do our part whether it’s volunteering our time, giving of our financial resources, or writing to our legislators so that young woman have the opportunity to let her voice be heard. Thank you to everyone who listened so intently to girls, our speakers, and made such strong commitments to supporting girls' empowerment.