Coconut Creek grad Pressley to represent U.S. at Pan Am Junior Championships

Her coach and teammates would take turns steadying the high jump bar over an old, water-soaked pit at the City of Lauderhill Sports Park.

For Maya Pressley, it was a start.

"The water from the pit would come up and hit her in the face every time she hit the mat," said her longtime Lauderhill Track Club coach Ted Beverly.

"It wasn't much. It was tough…a rough beginning but it's how she got started and she never complained. She went from the playground to world-class."

Program Helps Palm Beach Girls Turn Their Lives Around

By LISA GODDARD | Forum Publishing Group

Problems at school are a thing of the past for 16-year-old Alieny Romero, of West Palm Beach, and she credits the Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program for helping turn her life around.

Today, the Forest Hill High School junior is on track to graduate, focused on attending college and planning to pursue a career in arts management. Romero and 11 other Forest Hill students are participating in WOT, which serves 1,700 girls in eight Palm Beach County high schools and every public high school in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

South Beach Modeling Agency Inspires High School Students

BY TANIA VALDEMORO
tvaldemoro@MiamiHerald.com

When Rachel Desert walked into a top South Beach modeling agency on Friday, the high school student expected to get tips on how to pose for the cameras and walk down a runway.

She got that and a whole lot more, including life lessons, from agency founder Irene Marie, supermodel Nikki Taylor and Wild on E! host Cindy Taylor, no relation to Nikki.

''I learned that with determination, you can overcome any obstacle,'' said Desert, 17, a junior from North Miami Beach Senior High School.

Model Mogul Irene Marie Celebrates 25 Years in Business

BY DEBRA K. LEIBOWITZ
adsetcinc@the-beach.net

Irene Marie, the grand dame of modeling, will celebrate her agency's 25th anniversary alongside her 1,000 models, staff members (past and present), close friends and business associates at an invita- tion-only gala Dec. 13 in Miami Beach. The VIP soiree -- featuring a rock & roll concert and fashion show -- will kick off the launch of the new state-of-the-art venue at LIV Nightlife at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, part of the historic landmark's $1 billion renovation.

Females Changing Face of Philanthropy

BY FRANCES ROBLES
frobles@MiamiHerald.com

Abby Brown, once a troubled teenager facing an uncertain future, sees herself as an example of what can come from the power of women.

Miami Lakes: Young Ladies Learn Success Strategies

Miami Herald Staff Report

More than 80 high school girls who are part of the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program got professional ethics and etiquette training during a workshop and luncheon hosted by the Mandarin Oriental Miami, featuring speakers from the county Commission on Ethics & Public Trust and Irene Marie Management Group.

The event took place Jan. 11 at the Mandarin Oriental, 500 Brickell Key Dr.

Women of Tomorrow Annual Graduation Luncheon

Miami Herald Staff Report

WOMEN OF TOMORROW

Women of Tomorrow, an organization benefiting at-risk young women in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach public high schools, recently held its Eighth Annual Graduation Celebration.

At the event, University of Miami president Donna Shalala spoke to 510 seniors and 125 scholarships were awarded.

Women of Tomorrow was founded in 1997 by television journalist Jennifer Valoppi and Telemundo president and CEO Don Browne.

For information, call 305-371-3330 or visit womenoftomorrow.org.

Women of Tomorrow Urged to Never Forget Goals

Miami Herald Staff

Dozens of participants in Women of Tomorrow - a mentoring and scholarship program designed to enhance and enrich the lives of young women in the public school system - attended a special career day at St. Thomas University on Dec. 7.

Motivating Young Women Inspires Mentor

MADELEINE MARR, mmarr@miamiherald.com

``You get hooked,'' says Jennifer Valoppi, of what has kept her going for almost a decade as the founder and president of the Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program. ``At the end of the day, it's about the girls - helping to motivate and inspire them.''

ACE Graduates Receive WOT Scholarships - School Scene

Herald Staff

ACADEMY FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Academy for Community Education graduates recently received scholarships from the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship program at the organization's Seventh Annual Graduation Celebration. More than $292,500 in scholarships was given to 75 at-risk high school applicants, includinggraduates Diandra Carrandi, Alina Gonzalez and Shanika Jackson.