Dr. Lewis on SisterMentors:
In 2006, I came back to the Washington, D.C. area to start anew. Just shy of completing the first part of my comprehensive examinations, I was unmotivated, lacked determination, and was distraught over the idea of people who were suggesting that I should quit the Ph.D. program because of my writing. I heard about SisterMentors from a family friend and supporter, Allison Silberberg. I called Dr. Lewis for an initial meeting.
Words cannot express how inspiring my experience has been these last three years. Through tears, sleepless nights, and bouts of doubt, Dr. Lewis and SisterMentors women were encouraging, motivating and supportive. They listened to my dilemmas and challenged my thinking to set realistic goals towards completion. SisterMentors offered me the opportunity to go beyond my fears and inadequacies and climb to higher mountains of endless possibilities. I saw my attitude, language and fortitude change for the better and I began to visualize myself crossing the finish line.
I was able to put my needs on the shelf and assist the wonderful girls that we mentor each month to teach them the stamina they will need to succeed and be valued in life. Now I stand before them, the SisterMentors women and the world, not as one who was told to quit or who did not feel “good enough,” but as an award-winning researcher of a cutting-edge dissertation topic. Today, national and international researchers are inviting me to partner with them to publish work analyzing the importance of learning via technology and its impact on the family. I will always be indebted to Dr. Lewis and SisterMentors women and girls.