Persist Until Something Happens (PUSH) is a mentorship program for girls ages 12-17 that will meet in a group session twice a week for one hour on Mondays and Thursdays. The program is open to girls ages 15-16 and will meet from 5-6 p.m.

The first meeting will be an orientation from 5-6 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the Theo Ratliff Activity Center. Owner/mentor Latrivette Williams plans to move the program to Magnolia Place at a later date.

PUSH is currently accepting applicants, but there is a cap of 30 girls. There is no end date to the program. Williams said that PUSH would not move too fast and will repeat itself from time to time to make sure the girls absorb everything they can.

“I want them to leave high school prepared for life. It’s not going to answer every problem, but I guarantee you it will be a solid foundation for something great in their life,” Williams said.

She said she started PUSH to work alongside the girls and their parents in order to encourage and inspire them and help them gain clarity of purpose.

“If I don’t know the purpose of a hammer, I can use it to do anything and may cause some damage. So, if you don’t know the purpose of your life, you can end up just doing different things to fill those voids just to say that you lived and you had a prosperous life,” Williams said.

PUSH will cover topics such as self-image, finances, health and support systems. The program will consist of hand-written and hands-on activities, female guest speakers, trips outside of Demopolis and “homework.”

“They will definitely have some soul-searching. I won’t load it on, but at the end of each session I’ve prepared a few questions for them to think about,” she said.

Williams has five years of psychology education. She has continued her studies through self-education and began working with youth within her church, particularly girls.

She was inspired by her own life coach who gave her the push she needed to become the person that she wanted to be. She also has a forthcoming Christian, inspirational book titled “You Can Be Encouraged No Matter What.” The book will be published between the months of June and August.

The cost of the program is $150 each month per student, with a discount for siblings. Girls ages 12-14 will meet from 4-5 p.m.

For more information, contact Williams at 1-213-478-7729 or  push2begin@yahoo.com.

(This article originally appeared in the Saturday, January 13 issue of the Demopolis Times.)