We intend to celebrate every day and hold celebration activities every month. We cannot begin to tell you about our wonderful experiences these past nine years. We have seen women come into SisterMentors burnt-out, worried and frustrated. We have seen them leave filled with hope excitement and awe at their success in getting the doctorate.

At SisterMentors we believe that it is not just about getting the doctorate --- although it is indeed the university's highest degree --- the basis of education is to learn who we are, why we are here, knowing how to care for ourselves and others holistically, and understanding that we are all interconnected. Most of the girls in SisterMentors will be the first generation in their family to go to college. Through our mentoring and college visits, girls now have more self-confidence, are excited about going to college, and have begun to choose their high school classes more carefully.

At SisterMentors, we know that by increasing the number of women of color Ph.D.s, we are helping to increase the number of professors of color at universities. When our girls go off to college, they will therefore have more of an opportunity to be taught and mentored by women of color professors.

These days we feel a strong sense of accomplishment. We have been privileged to help 30 women of color to get their doctorate, have mentored over 55 girls of color, and will send our first group of girls off to college in 2007.

Also, SisterMentors is an award winning program. Our executive director, Dr. Shireen Lewis, has recently won awards for her work with SisterMentors, including Distinguished Alumnae of Douglass College, Rutgers University; the Honorable Annice M. Wagner Pioneer Award; and 2006 Woman of the Year.

We know that the sky is the limit because we have seen SisterMentors women and girls spread their wings and soar!

Come join us as we celebrate our ninth anniversary this month and as we begin our wondrous journey toward our tenth anniversary in September 2007.

Join us at our Ninth Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser.

Come meet SisterMentors women and girls!

When: Saturday September 30, 2006
Time: 4pm to 6pm
Where: Seekers Church
276 Carroll Street
Washington, D.C. 20012
(1/2 block from the Takoma metro, red line)

For more information about this event, call 202-775-6846 or email: director@sistermentors.org. Stay tuned for more upcoming events!

For more information on EduSeed, go to www.eduseed.org