JANAY WHITE: IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY WITH GIRLS-2-D.I.V.A.S.
Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone. ~Moroccan Proverb
By Rashida A. Marshall
Being able to enhance the community by giving back to the youth is one of the best gifts we can give that costs us nothing but our time. Recognizing that our young girls needed more guidance and support, Janay White, MSW took it upon herself to form Girls-2-D.I.V.A.S. Mentoring Program as a way to impart valuable life skills and experiences onto young ladies from all walks of life.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Janay White grew up with her great grandmother and her aunt. She left Miami in 2007 and came to Tallahassee, where she attended Florida A&M University and received her Bachelors and Masters Degree in Social Work.
Janay credits her passion for youth empowerment to various challenging childhood experiences, including a diagnosis of lupus in middle school and bullying. This along with an awareness of the things going on in society is what led her in 2011 to start Girls-2-D.I.V.A.S., a free non-profit for girls. She felt that a program such as G2D was needed and knew that her background in social work would assist her in running a successful program.
Girls-2-D.I.V.A.S., the acronym standing for Driven, Initiative, Virtuous, Astounding, and Successful, provides free mentoring for girls in grades 5th-12th. Their mission is to help the next generation of women discover their purpose in life, reinvent their self-esteem and develop life, social, entrepreneurship, communication, leadership, college and job skills. “We offer one-on-one mentoring. All the divas get set up with a mentor who they meet with on a weekly basis,” shares Janay. “We provide monthly enrichment workshops where we cover various lifestyle and professional skills. We also offer career-based field trips, community service opportunities, sisterhood activities and tutoring, and all of the services and activities are free.”
Janay expresses her appreciation to the Tallahassee community for the multitude of individuals who have been willing to offer their services to G2D. “Out of all the people we have asked to speak or lead a workshop, no one has ever mentioned a payment fee or anything, and we’re so grateful for that,” shares Janay. “Recently, we had a workshop on etiquette where we taught the ladies how to carry themselves with confidence. The field trips are my favorite part. We want to expose them to a world they’ve never seen.
As a part of the program, the divas enrolled in G2D are also privileged to receive behind the scenes looks of local businesses, colleges and organizations in town. “One of my girlfriends recently opened up her own dental office, and before she officially opened, she allowed us to come in and take a tour of her office,” shares Janay. “We got to see all the new high-tech gadgets, make teeth molds and learn about the becoming a dentist. We also received a tour of the Tallahassee International Airport to inspire the ones who to may want to become pilots or follow other career paths within that field. It was also a way of encouraging them to travel to new places and to not be afraid.”
Knowing the importance of a healthy self-esteem, Janay also uses G2D to promote having a positive self-image. “I feel that having a negative perception of ourselves can sometimes tie in to many of our problems as women of color. There are far too many women who don’t accept themselves and a lot of it is due to what is pushed on TV and radio which makes it hard for us to accept ourselves,” says Janay. “As women of color, we have very bold personalities –- we’re different, we’re unique –- and sometimes that is frowned upon and society will make it seem as though we’re less capable of doing things simply because we’re black women, and I can admit that I was once that woman.” Janay makes it a point to encourage her divas to accept and love what they see in the mirror every day. “If you don’t accept what you are capable of doing and are always comparing yourself, then that’s an issue. Self-image is what I’m passionate about when I see a young girl or a young woman. We address the divas in endearing ways, so they can know that they can grow to love who and what they see in the mirror.” As a part of this ongoing effort, one of the first activities that Girls-2-D.I.V.A.S. has each year is their self-reflection, self-acceptance activity. “We give them a mirror and have them look in it and share three things that they love about themselves that are not external. We ask them to dig a little deeper. It truly becomes a real moment, and it’s sometimes hard for me too, but it’s a reminder as to why we do this. We have to let them know that they’re valuable.”
[quote]We encourage them to voice how they feel to their peers, their parents, whomever, as long as it’s done in a respectful manner. We let them know all the time that there is power in your voice and that they should always speak up.”[/quote]
With much happening in our society regarding women speaking out on injustices, it is also important to G2D that the young ladies are encouraged to be heard. “We always tell them that they have a voice and to speak on their emotions. We work to activate that voice through critical thinking and giving them different platforms to speak on. We encourage them to voice how they feel to their peers, their parents, whomever, as long as it’s done in a respectful manner. We let them know all the time that there is power in your voice and that they should always speak up.”
With Girls-2-D.I.V.A.S. continuing to grow and working on future plans of expanding to different cities, Janay speaks on how she has overcome challenges which have ultimately led to the success of the program. “A major challenge for me was allowing others to help. After many disappointments in the past and being left short by unkept promises, I had begun to hold onto those feelings and wasn’t ready to let people help,” says Janay. “I had to learn to let that go and be more willing to let people come in and assist because I couldn’t run this program by myself. We really have authentic, pure hearted people a part of our team who genuinely care about our youth, and sometimes it can be hard to find that.”
“When I wake up every single day and know that God has made a way for Girl-2-D.I.V.A.S. to still be here making an impact on the community, I know that is an amazing accomplishment. Knowing that we’ve gotten through another workshop, another community service project, and more, is a reminder that we are already accomplished.” Janay adds.
Although it hasn’t been an easy road, Janay has remained consistent on her journey to create a program that will leave a lasting impact. “My granny, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2007, did not fret about anything. Nothing shook her because she was covered by God, and she used to always say two simple words, ‘in time’,” Janay shares. “She would apply it in every way in her life. ‘Don’t worry baby, in time. In time, you’ll get that job. In time you’ll get into that school. You just have to trust the process and have faith in God.’ That has always stuck with me, and whenever something pops up, I always remind myself of that. “In time.”
As Janay continues to inspire, motivate and lead young women in the right direction, she leaves us with these words of wisdom. “You are capable of doing anything you put your mind to if it’s God’s will. Don’t let anything stand in your way of what your purpose is.”
If you are interested in contributing, mentoring or volunteering, connect with Girls-2-D.I.V.A.S.
IG: @girls2divas_mentoring
FB: Girls 2 DIVAS Mentoring Program/Tallahassee
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT JANAY WHITE OF G2D
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