Who says you can’t be beautiful AND smart? In Hollywood (and I suppose worldwide) there is an impression that women are either one or the other. Naturally, I disagree and while there are many examples I could provide to counter the claim (Queen Rania of Jordan, Jacyln Smith, Cindy Crawford), this blog is specifically about a beauty who is not only business savvy, but is smart enough to know the importance of passing on lessons she has learned. So who is this brainy bombshell?
Kathy Ireland. She has been a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover girl three times over, owns a $1 billion clothing-and-furniture line and juggles the tasks of wife and mother to three children. But, the 41-year-old former supermodel holds another title that few people know about. Ireland is also a mentor to dozens of new mothers—all unmarried and many still in their teens. The young moms are part of the L.A.-based Kathy Ireland Mentor Program for Single Teen Mothers.
Ireland started the program back in 1990 and since then has matched more than 500 girls with female mentors. The mentors meet with the young mothers at least four times a year and keep in touch via phone calls to “offer advice on everything from going back to school to ending an abusive relationship.” The mentors are contractually obligated to maintain a relationship with their protégés for a year.
As part of her mentor program Ireland awards each girl a $500 scholarship to help offset school expenditures. Since the program’s inception Ireland says the program has been able to help hundreds of teen mothers who have needed a hand up. Ireland tells PEOPLE Magazine that the success stories shared by program participants are what fuel her dedication to the project.
Ireland recently shared the story of Christina Perez with a PEOPLE Magazine reporter. The 23-year-old came to Ireland’s program as a high school dropout and unmarried mom. Today, Perez is a married mother of three, studying for her GED and working part-time. Perez says that Ireland’s program taught her that everyone is valuable and has something to offer the world.
To read more inspirational stories like Perez’s and for more information on the mentor program click here.