The holiday season – the season of giving, family and friends is now truly behind us and I hope you all had a wonderful time with your loved ones and lots of memories for the  future!! I mention this because for the past few weeks I have had the privilege of  mentoring a group of young ladies from a school in North Las Vegas.

The ladies are all in junior high and are at an important but perhaps impressible age.  Many are gracious and appreciative – some have attitude, a little disrespectful and some a sense of being better than everyone else. Regardless of how they are today I am sure they will all grow into wonderful woman with families of their own and a full and rewarding life — and so it is with pride and joy that I am able to work with them and share some of my own experiences as a young woman, mother and an business owner with them.

My goal is to inspire each to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. In reality many of these young ladies may never get to experience the joy and excitement that many of other children have experience — a trip to Disneyland or even a visit to the beach for some this will never happen!! For sure they are bright and intelligent young ladies, but the cards they have been dealt are not great. I asked them how many nights a week they sat down with their families to have dinner and for most of them it’s never. My heart breaks for these children so the best thing I can do for them is teach them proper dining skills and table manners.  The little things like how to hold a knife and fork, and how to use your napkin properly (no big deal they thought), to sit like a lady and also learn that everyone needs to be treated with kindness and respect. Las Vegas with all it’s glitz glamour and wealth has many underprivileged children and we have to prepare them for the future whatever that may be.

Hopefully my experiences will help them understand that they each hold the key to their future success. It’s up to each of them to understand that they control their destiny and that with hard work and dedication that success can follow.

Giving back can be one of the most rewarding things you can ever do. I encourage you all to do it — and trust me you won’t regret it…..ever