I joined Ladies of Distinction at Aldine Middle School, and it truly changed my life. I remember the first meeting thinking "do these women really think I'm going to attend college?" . If you looked at my circumstances at that time, it was very unlikely that I would even apply to any school when I finished high school, "How would I pay for it?".

My mother loved me and encouraged my dream of going to college, but she did not have the resources to help me attain that dream. Ladies of Distinction gave me the tools and support to make it through high school and go to college. One of the women who runs this program would always tell me something to the extent of "LaQuetha, the power to reach your dreams lies within you, and you can do it!". Ladies of Distinction gives young ladies hope and the courage to reach their dreams.

LaQuetha Ford

LaQuetha graduated from Aldine Senior in 2000, from the University of Texas in 2005 and currently lives and teaches in Austin. LaQuetha continues TEW's goal of having former mentees become mentors themselves by volunteering through her church and being a mentor for high school girls.

I've been a big dreamer with a highly active imagination for as long as I can remember. If I didn't like my current circumstance, I would wish myself something different and my mind would take me there instantly. It was the kind of imagination that fueled dreams but that had later developed into a strong orientation for goal setting and planning as I matured.

As the oldest child, I've always had a take charge personality and was determined that my future circumstance would be different than the one I was born into. This is not to say that I was unhappy or unloved; I just had a feeling that there was more to life for someone who was such a thinker. In high school there was a meeting about joining Ladies of Distinction, sponsored by Texas Executive Women. By some off chance I attended wanting to find out what all the fuss was about. I didn't get much from the meeting, but I did walk away with one thing: one of the school counselor's said to me that the only thing I needed to know was that this organization could help me get places. From that moment the possibilities were endless and dreams were given life or put into action. I learned extremely valuable skills that are with me still today. I've always been a "do it myself" kind of girl, but I learned the importance of allowing others to help. T.E.W. was one of the many avenues in which I was helped. And so today I am who my journey has molded me to become.

Felicia Jackson

Felicia Jackson was a 2001 Graduate of Aldine Senior High School, a 2005 Graduate of Rice University with a degree In Biomedical Engineering, and in 2010 she receives her Doctor of Optometry from the Southern School of Optometry in Memphis Tennessee

I was a junior in High School when I joined the TEW program. I had just arrived from my home country and was completely new to the culture and language of my new home. The guidance and success stories of my TEW mentors along with the support of my family were the foundation of my goals and dreams. I graduated in the top 3% of my class and I was privileged to receive the TEW Scholarship to attend the University of Houston. Once in college, I was determined to stay in the path that would put me one step closer to my goals. I managed to complete my bachelor’s degree in only three years, and graduated with honors from the University of Houston with a BBA with an emphasis on Marketing. I am proud to say that I recently partnered to start a Web Design and Social Marketing firm called Create Design Inspire.

I once mentioned on a speech for Career Women on the Move that: "The sky is the limit", now more than ever I believe in this phrase, and in the power that TEW has to make it come true.

Blanca Garcia

Marketing Director Create Design Inspire