Message from the President
Dear Valued Supporters,
We hope you and yours are well and safe!
As summer winds down, we are gearing up for our inaugural golf tournament, “Torch Awards on The Greens.” I want to thank each of you for your ongoing support of our fundraising efforts. If you would like to attend as a non-golfer and attend the V.I.P. reception and awards banquet, please contact me directly at cazz3j@aol.com to make a reservation.
This month’s newsletter we are highlighting another one of our shining stars of the leadership academy. Please take a few minutes to read her story. Again, we are grateful for your support for making it possible for young ladies like Joycelyn to have hope.
Warm Regards
President & CEO
Where Are They Now?
Alumni Spotlight on Jocelyn Hutton
Joycelyn Rena Hutton Jr. entered From The School House to the White House Leadership Academy at George Washington Preparatory High School during her freshman year in 2009. While a Torchette, Joycelyn stretched her talents, skills, and burning desire to learn through several activities and organizations including but not limited to: USC Upward Bound, WPHS Leadership as the Student Body and Senior Class President, WPHS News Team, WPHS Cheerleading, community drill team with Black Diamonds, WPHS Football and Track Statistics, WPHS Political Organizing Committee, WPHS Modeling Club, as well as other miscellaneous endeavors. While juggling the rigorous demand from the multitude of extracurricular activities, in addition to her elected advanced curriculum, Joycelyn persevered with unwavering commitment and vision for a purpose-led life beyond the offerings in her immediate neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles.
The Legacy Ladies led Joycelyn to transcend her microsystem and advance into both macro environments and conversations to fearlessly take up space. Legacy Ladies, Inc also helped to both nurture and expand Joycelyn’s vision by frequently and routinely challenging her to move through her then circumstances as if she had already obtained her destined future success. Joycelyn was confronted with several obstacles that disproportionately impact communities of color on a daily basis. These obstacles included concentrated community gang violence in her immediate neighborhood, domestic violence in her home, being sexually abused by a trusted family member, watching a close loved one struggle with addiction, and subsequently grappling with her own mental health as a result. Nevertheless, being afforded the invaluable guidance and opportunity to indulge in intentionally elevating conversations and environments outweighed her complex trauma and therefore remains priceless.
Post-graduation, Joycelyn went on to pursue Human Development and Family Science as well as Public Health at Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College of Sports and Human Dynamics in 2013. Joycelyn was empowered to withstand the financial burden placed on marginalized students attending predominantly white institutions by earning scholarships from the Posse Foundation, Thrive Scholars, the Council of Black Administrators, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc South Bay Alumni Chapter, and (of course) Legacy Ladies, Inc. At Syracuse University, Joycelyn became insatiably curious and passionate about understanding the impact of her native environment. With maturation came deep introspection and Joycelyn later realized that her SHWH Leadership Academy experience was one of the few but very necessary catalyst that birthed her love for culturally competent and empathetic pedagogies.
After graduating from Syracuse University in 2018, Joycelyn began her career in Child Welfare at the Clark County Department of Family Services as a Child Protective Services Investigator. Joycelyn recently transitioned to the CCDFS Emergency Response Team as a CPS Investigator addressing high priority child abuse and neglect. She is also currently in the process of finalizing her brand, Entrepreneur’s House, which will help marginalized persons discover their purpose, monetize their skills, create additional streams of income, foster intergenerational wealth, as well as normalize the financial habits and education of the top one percent. The unapologetic audacity embodied by the intimate group of women known as Legacy Ladies, has exponentially compounded the possibilities for young black girls in greater Los Angeles.
Torch Awards on the Greens
On August 30, 2021, we will have our inaugural charity golf tournament, “Torch Awards on The Greens.” If you are a non-golfer, please join us at the V.I.P. reception and awards banquet following the golf tournament. For additional information, please go to our website, www.legacyladiesinc.com
Our Mission
Our mission is to be a premier organization that transforms the lives of disenfranchised girls. We foster character, confidence and grace through our academic and experiential programs; with the goal of developing extraordinary thinkers who are courageous leaders that will become productive global citizens.