“To be irreplaceable, you have to be different. I don’t want them to just be told, I want them to be shown.” –Bianca Rae
By Lisa Morgan
Award winning news reporter, Bianca Rae, didn’t take it lightly when she noticed the trend of young girls crowding around her while on location covering news stories for KESQ. She felt a deep sense of responsibility. “I am very proud and grateful that I started getting involved on the path toward my passion when I was young. I am blessed! I had good, strong guidance at a young age. If you start young, you have more time to accomplish everything you set out to do. I want to be part of helping young girls get on the right path when they are young, at this molding stage of their lives.” More than words, this young woman of action has founded her own non-profit organization and is inviting Coachella Valley middle school girls from all over, to a free all day event in hopes of giving them some of the same guidance, support and wisdom that has helped her on the road to a successful career and life.
This second annual event follows last year’s tremendous inaugural success, where 150 girls spent quality time with some of our desert’s high profile, well respected women. Bianca Rae, along with her colleagues Jenifer Daniels, Laura Yanez, Natalie Brunell, Samantha Cortese, Gabriela Quezada, Mayra Higareda and Francini Zabata volunteered their time and their wisdom in order to make a positive and lasting impact on our community’s young women.
“It was a terrific day of health, wellness, beauty and leadership,” shared Rae. “What made this so unique is that it was led by the women these girls see on television. 150 girls from across the valley participated in four different break out groups. International School of Beauty led a ‘make-under’ makeup tutorial, showing how less is more. There was a fabulous group about health and wellness, and treating your body well. My group discussed getting active and involved in your community and making a difference. I shared with the girls about my involvement in student council and how it enhanced my life. We also had 6 different non-profits looking for volunteers, so we were truly showing these girls practical ways to get involved. We also talked about anti bullying. The girls really opened up to us about social media and Instagram and how it affects them. There was a lot of discussion about making good choices; about not bullying, not assisting in bullying or going on social media to participate in bullying. The fourth group was ‘Building a Dream’ where they made a photo collage of what they want to be and how they were going to get there.”
“Fortunately or unfortunately, people in the public eye really can influence young kids,” Rae explained passionately. “These girls actually thought we were cool. At one point, the girls were asking us for our autographs. We could have told them that the sky was green and they would have believed us. And that right there is the point; they looked up to us and we could have either run it the wrong way or run it the right way. This is the whole purpose of this retreat – to try and harness that influence, and use it for good.”
Last year, the free event had to put some girls on a waiting list when it filled up with 150 participants. “We were at the Miramonte, and it was wonderful,” shared Rae. “This year we are very excited to be at the Renaissance Hotel in Indian Wells. We’ll have room for twice as many girls. We have 140 girls signed up already and we have room for 300. We are a month away, and want all the spots full if possible. We really want to meet these girls.”
This year’s mentors joining Bianca Rae include local news celebrities Karen Devine, Laura Yanez, Alexandra Pierce, Gabriela Quezada, Mayra Higareda, and Sarah Jayne Simon. The event will cost $10, but the Burger Foundation is sponsoring a scholarship program. Anybody can apply. Applicants are asked to write and submit one paragraph about why they want to attend the retreat. Those applications can be submitted to www.biancaraefoundation.org.
“I’m really grateful to my station for running the commercials for this and getting the word out,” shared Rae. “And it wouldn’t be what it is without all the fantastic celebrity ladies who volunteer their time with these girls.”
“I’ve cut a lot of mistakes out of my life due to what I’ve learned at retreats like this one. I learned about respecting myself, being respected by my peers and elders, and how these things would get me much further in life. I want these girls to know that the younger you start, the better you’ll do. I’m still fairly young, but I’ve always had a clear focus. It’s about setting yourself apart from the crowd. To be irreplaceable, you have to be different. And I don’t want them to just be told, I want them to be shown.”
EVENT INFORMATION:
WHAT: One day seminar and workshop for Coachella Valley’s middle school girls
WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 2015, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Renaissance Indian Wells Resort and Spa – Indian Wells, CA
WHY: Facilitated by foundation founder Bianca Rae and the ladies of KESQ, CBS Local 2 and Telemundo, providing an enriching, leadership-oriented learning opportunity.
REGISTRATION: $10.00 (scholarships available provided by the H.N. And Frances C. Berger Foundation). Register at www.biancaraefoundation.org.
SPONSORS: KESQ News Channel 3, CBS Local 2, KUNA, 15 Telemundo, Renaissance Indian Wells Resort and Spa, Cord Media, Shalhoub McDonald’s, H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, Spotlight 29 Cares.
