Broadway actress and Tony Award winner Kara Young traveled back to her hometown of Harlem on Tuesday to surprise the students of PS 161 Pedro Albizu Campos. The visit was part of the nonprofit Saving Our Daughters, an organization founded in 2014 that pairs young girls of color with women from the entertainment industry who serve as “celebrity godparents.”

Message of confidence and pride

Standing before a classroom of eager learners, Young emphasized the importance of dreaming big and taking pride in one’s identity. “When you meet younger people, especially because I’m in Harlem and I’m seeing these young people of color, I want them to dream big,” she said. “I want them to dream bigger than me, to be seen, to have pride when they say their name, and always be kind and uplift each other.”

Saving Our Daughters program

Saving Our Daughters was created to help girls of color overcome barriers and reach their highest potential. Participants, known as “Student Cinderellas,” are matched with mentors—referred to as “celebrity godparents”—who provide guidance, share personal stories, and open doors to opportunities in the arts, media, and beyond. The program’s goal is to foster confidence, sisterhood, and a sense of purpose among its members.

Student reactions

One of the students, Sophia, expressed how meaningful the experience was. “A program like Saving Our Daughters is so important because we get to meet different actresses like Kara Young today,” she said. “We get to listen to their perspectives and hear how they got on Broadway and onto that big stage.”

Other students echoed Sophia’s sentiment, noting that seeing a successful actress who grew up in the same neighborhood reinforced the belief that their own aspirations are attainable.

Community impact

The Harlem visit underscores the broader impact of local role models and mentorship programs in strengthening families and neighborhoods. By highlighting stories of achievement rooted in faith, hard work, and community support, initiatives like Saving Our Daughters align with the values of traditional families and individual liberty that many Harlem residents hold dear.

Saving Our Daughters continues to expand its reach, inviting more entertainment professionals to serve as godparents and encouraging schools across the city to adopt similar mentorship models. For more information about the program and upcoming events, visit SavingOurDaughters.org.

Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.