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The Office of the Attorney General staff participate in the Governor's Mentoring Initiative throught the Women of Tomorrow Scholarship and Mentoring Organization
Story by Celena M. Cutts 
Law Enforcement Lieutenant
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit - Miami Bureau
Office of the Attorney General Bill McCollum
The Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program (WOT) inspires, motivates and empowers at-risk young women to live up to their full potential through mentoring by highly accomplished professional women and scholarship opportunities. They meet with the girls once a month to provide real-life information regarding domestic violence, health awareness, and other relevant topics. They also mentor them to develop stronger self esteem and provide career guidance.
Last month, after presenting a session on dining etiquette, the women realized that many of the students were not versed on how to conduct themselves at a business or professional dining function. The women decided to expand the lesson a little further and reached out to several fine dining establishments in South Florida. More than 80 at-risk girls received professional ethics and etiquette training during a workshop and luncheon hosted by the elegant Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami. The hotel was so impressed with the program that they agreed to sponsor each student at no cost. As a result, 100 high school female students had the opportunity to experience eating in a 5 star environment. 
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will certainly be a memorable occasion for these girls and their mentors!
The Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program is designed to enhance and enrich the lives of young women in the public school system. WOT is in its eleventh year and currently reaches close to 1,800 young women in public schools in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Over 200 of South Florida's most distinguished professional women mentor small groups of girls in monthly sessions to develop self-esteem, effective life skills and techniques for turning obstacles into opportunities. WOT has awarded over $1.5 Million dollars in scholarships to 554 Mentees. It is believed to be the only program of its kind in the country. For more information visit www.women-of-tomorrow.org. |
