Girls Inc. to Present the 2004 She Knows Where She's Going Awards and Scholarships at the 16th Annual Luncheon, April 14, 2004, in Dallas.

Business Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2004

Girls Incorporated of Metropolitan Dallas will honor four exceptional women leaders in Dallas and seven outstanding graduates of Girls Inc. receiving scholarships at the 16th Annual She Knows Where She's Going Awards Luncheon. Chaired by Michelle Thomas, vice president and manager of Texas Community Affairs for Bank One, and sponsored by KDFW Fox 4, the She Knows Where She's Going Awards Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, April 14, from 12:00 noon until 1:30 p.m., in the Chantilly Ballroom of the Wyndham Anatole Hotel.

Joining the ranks of 57 exceptional women who have been honored with She Knows Where She's Going Awards since 1987, the 2004 award recipients are dedicated leaders who embody the spirit and mission of Girls Inc. Each has achieved personal goals by overcoming obstacles and taking control of her life, and each generously shares her success by supporting other women and girls in achieving their goals. The recipients of the 2004 She Knows Where She's Going Awards are:

Kim Askew is a Partner at Hughes & Luce, L.L.P. Kim's life is

defined by firsts. In 2003, Kim became the first African American 

lawyer in the history of the State Bar of Texas to be elected as

chair of the board. She was the first African American woman hired

in a major Dallas law firm, the first to be elected to partnership

in a major Dallas law firm, and she remains one of very few women

partners in firms locally and throughout Texas. An outstanding

community leader and advocate for women, Kim dedicates her time to

educate young women about personal and professional opportunities.

She invites Girl Scouts, Hockadaisies from The Hockaday School and

children from minority communities to her downtown Dallas office.

She has also served with organizations like Bryan's House, the

CHANCE Center and Incest Recovery. Georgetown University 

recognized Kim as one of the inaugural Outstanding Alumni from the

law school. She is currently serving her fourth year on the Board

of Regents for the university.

The Honorable Karen Gren Johnson was sworn in as Judge of the 95th

District Court of Dallas County, Texas, on January 1, 2001. Upon

taking her oath of office, she became Dallas County's first Asian

American district judge, the county's sole Asian American elected

official, and the only female Asian American elected judge

currently in the state of Texas. Prior to her taking the bench,

Judge Johnson was a partner at a national law firm, with a

successful civil litigation practice that spanned over 18 years.

Judge Johnson serves on the Executive Committee of the Cornell Law

Association and the Council of Litigation for the State Bar of

Texas. Judge Johnson is not only a highly rated, fair and

effective jurist, but as a mother of three, is also a respected

role model for working mothers and women lawyers. Strongly

committed to giving back to her community, Judge Johnson is a

founding and current board member of the Asian American Forum,

serves on the executive board of Camp John Marc, and is

co-chairing the annual National Asian Pacific American Bar 

Association convention coming to Dallas in 2004. She currently

serves on the honorary advisory boards of Victims Outreach, the

Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the DFW 

Asian American Citizens Council.

Caroline Galvan Rodriguez is co-founder of M Crowd and Restaurant

Life, a group of 22 metroplex restaurants including Mi Cocina,

Taco Diner, Citizen, Paris Vendome, The Mercury Grill, Fort Worth

Chop House and Mainstream Fish House. Caroline has remained a true

philanthropist while building her restaurant empire. She has given

her time and resources to the less fortunate and to homeless

families in Dallas. She is known by many for having a heart as big

as Dallas. She strongly believes that if you can engage a child in

a sport, you can keep that child from being exposed to street

crimes. She has dedicated herself to soccer programs that give

underprivileged children the same opportunities afforded to the

more affluent soccer leagues in North Texas. She has quietly

purchased and delivered hundreds of pairs of shoes, uniforms and

sporting equipment to inner-city school children. Currently, she

serves and donates her time to many non-profit organizations in

Texas. She serves on the Board of Directors for the North Texas

Make A Wish Foundation and has been selected by Make A Wish to be

the Honoree Chair for the first Hispanic Committee in the country.

Her company has also made a significant impact through donations

to DIFFA - the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS.

Caroline's greatest achievement is yet to come. She is currently

creating her own foundation to serve women and children in the

Hispanic community who are in need of health care and shelter.

In 2001, Girls Inc. established the Girls Champion Award, to honor a business or individual who is an advocate for girls by developing, implementing or expanding opportunities for women in our community. The 2004 Girls Champion Award will be presented to Elizabeth (Liza) Lee, Headmistress of The Hockaday School. Liza Lee has dedicated her professional career to the education, development and nurturing of girls. She has influenced the lives of thousands of girls, teaching and encouraging them to strive to meet their full potential, to pursue a career, and live lives of purpose and excellence. A strong role model for her students, Liza has raised educational standards in areas not traditionally pursued by women, including science and math. Under Liza's direction, Hockaday's average SAT college entrance exam score climbed from 1,241 in 1999 to 1,344 last year. The school also reported 23 National Merit Semifinalists in 2002, surpassed only by the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science in Denton and St. John's School, a private school in Houston. Committed to diversity, Liza has increased the enrollment of students of color from 17 percent in 1990 to 24 percent this year. Liza refers to Hockaday's students as "my girls" and knows virtually all of them by name.

"Girls Inc. is deeply honored to recognize these four women as outstanding advocates for women and girls in the Dallas community," said Michelle Thomas. "The accomplishments of Girls Inc. would not be possible without the dedication of mentoring women and generosity of businesses that give time and resources for women's programs."

"We are proud to recognize the accomplishments of our exceptional honorees, and we also celebrate the accomplishments of our outstanding girls who will receive scholarships to continue their education and realize their dreams," said Ruth Thomas, executive director of Girls Incorporated of Metropolitan Dallas. "We salute them for their commitment to building a successful and independent life."

The 2004 scholarship recipients are:

Adrian Bailey is a six-year member of the Parkwoods Center and a

senior at Justin F. Kimball High School. Education is very

important to Adrian and her family. In a recent essay Adrian

remarked, "I have always wanted to be a successful person and I

know a college education will make that dream a reality." Adrian

plans to pursue a degree in Education and Business at the

University of North Texas. Adrian is determined to help inspire

children the way Girls Inc. has inspired her. She is the recipient

of a $5,000 Girls Incorporated scholarship.

Jak'ki Hawthorne is a five-year member of the Parkwoods Center and

a senior at Justin F. Kimball High School. Jak'ki serves as vice

president of her Senior Class, treasurer of the Kimball Student

Council and is a member of the National Honor Society. Through her

experiences at Girls Inc., as well as through her school

endeavors, Jak'ki has learned that taking risks, striving toward

her goals and achieving success are qualities that will carry her

far into the future. Jak'ki plans to attend the University of

North Texas where she will study Real Estate. She is the recipient

of a $5,000 Girls Incorporated scholarship.

Zulema Meraz is a three-year member of the Pleasant Grove Center

and currently holds the title of "Girl of the Year." Zulema is a

senior at Skyline High School and is truly an asset to Girls Inc.

with her leadership skills, artistic abilities and well-rounded

personality. Zulema is a member of the Young Women's Company and

proves that she has come a long way. Girls Inc. taught her that

today is the day to do what you must in order to have a better

tomorrow. Zulema has already begun study toward a degree in

Graphic Arts and is enrolled in a dual credit program at

Brookhaven College. She plans to further her education in Graphic

Arts and Special Effect Animation. Zulema is the recipient of a

$10,000 Girls Incorporated scholarship.

Stephanie McGary is a six-year member of the South Dallas Center

and a senior at the School of Government Law and Law Enforcement

at Townview Center. Stephanie is one of the school's top ten

students and will graduate from the most vigorous course of study

at the Magnet Center for Public Service. Through the job shadowing

program at Girls Inc., Stephanie was given the opportunity to

visit the United States District Court. After this experience and

two internships at the Dallas City Attorney's Office and the Law

Offices of Cook and Associates, she now aspires to become a

prosecuting attorney for juvenile delinquents. In addition,

Stephanie has participated in various programs, including

Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy, Friendship Connection and the

Young Women's Company. She plans to attend Spelman College in the

fall and later hopes to attend law school at Southern Methodist

University. Stephanie is the recipient of a $10,000 Girls

Incorporated scholarship.

Allison Nelson is an eight-year member and two-year volunteer for

the Oak Cliff Center. She is an Honor Roll Student at the School

of Business and Management at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center.

Allison is a leader and role model, making her one of our most

dedicated high school senior members. She spends numerous hours

tutoring younger girls, helping with teen programming and

volunteering as a teacher's assistant in the classrooms. She has

completed three months of film editing and production training and

uses her skills to film Girls Inc. events, helping to create a

video archive for the agency. Allison is a member of the Young

Women's Company and believes that Girls Inc. has played a major

role in guiding her to discover who she is and what she can

become. Allison is considering Secondary Education,

Entrepreneurship and Culinary Arts as her career path. Allison is

the recipient of a $10,000 Girls Incorporated scholarship.

Tammra Smith is a nine-year member of the Oak Cliff Center. She

attends Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and

Visual Arts where she performs in the music cluster. Tammra is one

of our most distinguished high school senior members who has

enthusiastically participated in a number of activities. She is an

active member of the Young Women's Company and has won numerous

awards, such as Girls Inc. "Volunteer of the Year" (2002), Girls

Inc. "Girl of the Year" (2002), and placed first in the BizCamp

Business Plan Competition (2003). Tammra believes that self

confidence has led her to discover that even if her name never

becomes known, what is most important is sharing what she has

learned to honestly make a difference in others' lives. By doing

so she has remained true to the principles she has learned through

her involvement in Girls Inc. Tammra is interested in a career in

child psychology. She is the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship

from Girls Incorporated and the Dallas Chapter of Links

Incorporated.

Taneisha Williams is a seven-year member of the Parkwoods Center

and a senior at Justin F. Kimball High School. She is an active

member of the Texas Association of Future Educators where she

mentors pre-school children, feeds the homeless and tutors peers.

Taneisha is a participant in the "Investing in Our Futures"

program, sponsored by the Dallas Chapter of Links Incorporated,

which assists a select group of high school girls in sharpening

their mathematic and writing skills in preparation for college.

Taneisha aspires to be an obstetrician/gynecologist and plans to

major in Biology at the University of North Texas or Texas A&M

Commerce. Taneisha will be the first member in her family to

attend college. Taneisha is the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship

from Girls Incorporated and the Dallas Chapter of Links

Incorporated.

About Girls Incorporated of Metropolitan Dallas

Girls Incorporated of Metropolitan Dallas is a nonprofit agency whose mission is to empower girls to take charge of their lives. Girls Inc. has served Dallas for 36 years and has six centers in Dallas' most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. A variety of programs at the centers prepare girls to be self-sufficient, responsible members of the community.