Tag: Bria Toussaint

Fun, Fundraising at YouthQuest Golf Tournament

News
Golfers at YouthQuest's 10th Annual Challenge at Trump National Golf Club August 10, 2015

“One day of golf will make a difference for America’s at-risk youth all year long.” YouthQuest supporters just proved that’s more than a slogan for us.

Players, sponsors and volunteers turned out in force in August 10 for the 10th Annual Challenge at Trump National Golf Club.

YouthQuest Co-Founder & President Lynda Mann with Tournament Chairman Bill Hall
YouthQuest Co-Founder & President Lynda Mann with Tournament Chairman Bill Hall

“We couldn’t have had a better event to celebrate our 10th tournament,” said Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann. “The venue, the service, the food, the support of all our participants … We couldn’t have asked for more.”

“During these 10 years, we’ve built a base of sponsors and supporters that understand the importance of our mission to help high school dropouts turn their lives around,” she added.

This year’s tournament will help power the growth of our signature STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education project, the 3D ThinkLink Initiative. Our lessons in 3D design and printing help at-risk kids develop sorely needed critical thinking and problem solving skills. Some of the proceeds from the event will go toward improving our 3D lab. We’re also upgrading our website to make the 3D ThinkLink curriculum available for purchase online.

In addition to the funds raised through tournament sponsorships, our silent auction and raffle were the most successful ever, bringing in more than twice as much as last year.

Twenty-five teams of golfers got the rare opportunity to experience the newly remodeled Championship Course at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC, where the Senior PGA Championship will be held in 2017.

The CrossFit PR Star team on the final hole at Trump National
The CrossFit PR Star team on the 18th hole

Many of the faces were familiar, but we were pleased to welcome plenty of new players. This year’s field included more women than ever before. And, as always, we had the help of our generous volunteers, many of them from AOC Solutions.

“People tell us they keep coming back because this is the best charity golf tournament they attend all year,” explained Lynda, citing the high quality of the venue and the services provided.

Tournament Committee Chairman Bill Hall praised Trump National Director of Golf Kevin Morris, event planner Mary Hudgins and event coordinator Vicky Kurasz, along with the caddies and the rest of the staff. Last-minute changes are inevitable for an event as large as this one. The Trump National team took it all in stride and delivered an outstanding experience for everyone.

Former MLB pitcher Pete Schourek is pretty handy with a golf club, too.
Former MLB pitcher Pete Schourek knows his way around the links, too.

The early morning drizzle ended just in time for Golf Entertainer Brad Denton get things started with an amazing trick shot demonstration. The weather remained mild – mercifully unlike a typical mid-August Monday in Washington – allowing the players to enjoy a pleasant day on the course.

Most foursomes were matched with a celebrity player. Our VIP guests included speaker and Emmy-winning broadcaster Jan Fox, Major League Baseball alumni Shawn Camp and Pete Schourek, Washington Redskins alumni coordinator Jerry Olsen and former players Mike Bragg, Brian Carpenter, Ricky Ervins, Pat Fischer, Ken Jenkins, Carl Kammerer, Ron McDole, Kirk Mee and Ted Vactor.

Author John Gilstrap at YouthQuest's 2015 Challenge at Trump National tournament reception
Author John Gilstrap signed his new book at the tournament reception

New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap was with us again this year, signing copies of his new thriller Against All Enemies during the post-tournament reception. Our summer intern, Bria Toussaint, spoke at the reception about her own nonprofit, GRL-PWR, and Loudoun Youth, two organizations with close ties to YouthQuest.

The 10th Annual Challenge at Trump National was a success because of the generosity of our sponsors, silent auction donors, players and volunteers. Special thanks go out to tournament photographer Jeff Mauritzen, Copy General for printing the programs and Staybridge Suites in Chantilly for providing Brad Denton’s lodging.

We also are grateful to Michael Garcia and his staff at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in McLean, Va., for hosting our VIP Reception on August 6, at which we recognized Founders Award winner Scott MacDonald, Volunteer of the Year Edna Davis, Community Partner Derrick Campana of Animal Orthocare and 3D ThinkLink Strategic Partner Joe Travez of Prototype Productions, Inc. Learn more about our award winners here.

Make a note now to join us at the 11th Annual Challenge at Trump National on Monday, August 8, 2016.

[Show picture list]

Meet Bria Toussaint, Our Summer Intern

News
YouthQuest summer intern Bria Toussaint

This summer is going to be the busiest ever for YouthQuest, so we’re pleased to have Bria Toussaint working with us for the next six weeks.

Bria, who will graduate from Spelman College next year, has already accomplished a great deal in the field of youth-focused nonprofits.

She is the Co-Founder and CEO of GRL-PWR, a 501(c)(3) organization that empowers young girls through activities that promote self-esteem, goal setting and service to others.

During the first half of this year, she took part in an exchange program at Stanford University, where she worked with law students and professors to develop creative outreach solutions to the problem of human trafficking.

Bria Toussaint and Royal Phillips led GRL-PWR mentor training for cadets at South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy in May, 2013
Bria and Royal bring GRL-PWR to SCYCA

Bria came aboard as our summer intern just a few days ago, but her connection to YouthQuest dates back to her time at Freedom High School in Chantilly, Virginia, where she and classmate Royal Phillips created GRL-PWR. They entered their project in the 2012 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition and won the first-place prize of $1,000 provided by YouthQuest.

Our Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann was one of the contest judges that year and was so impressed by Bria and Royal that she offered to help them take GRL-PWR to other states.  The Foundation sent them to the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy in May, 2013 to teach a group of at-risk young women to be GRL-PWR mentors.

Bria’s summer to-do list includes assisting with our 3D ThinkLink classes for a Boys & Girls Club summer camp in Fairfax County, preparing for our annual charity golf tournament and VIP Reception, supporting 3D ThinkLink immersion lab week and teacher training, and delivering rewards for backers who made pledges to our successful 3D ThinkLink curriculum project on Kickstarter.

We’re confident Bria’s internship with us will be a mutually beneficial experience. She’s gaining valuable hands-on experience in the day-to-day operation of a nonprofit organization and we’re gaining valuable insights from a smart, enthusiastic young woman who’s already making her mark in the nonprofit world.

VIDEO: YouthQuest Boosts GRL-PWR

News
YouthQuest President Lynda Mann with GRL-PWR Founders Bria Toussaint and Royal Phillips

YouthQuest partners Bria Toussaint and Royal Phillips are starting their sophomore year at Spelman College after a busy summer spent spreading the word about their girls’ empowerment nonprofit, GRL-PWR.

The YouthQuest Foundation sponsored their trip to the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy, a school for at-risk youth near Columbia, where they trained a group of to be GRL-PWR mentors. Bria and Royal said it was a valuable experience for them, as well as for the Cadets.

In this video, they describe what they did during the weekend training session in South Carolina.

GRL-PWR began in Loudoun County, Va., where the program Bria and Royal developed as students at Freedom High School won first place in the 2011-12 Loudoun Youth Step Up competition. Our Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann, one of the contest judges, was so impressed that she offered to help take GRL-PWR to other states.

Besides planting GRL-PWR’s seeds in South Carolina, Bria and Royal have started a chapter at Spelman in Atlanta.

To learn more about GRL-PWR, go to www.grl-pwr.com.

VIDEO: YouthQuest Helps Bring GRL-PWR to South Carolina

News

The YouthQuest Foundation has teamed up with GRL-PWR founders Bria Toussaint and Royal Phillips to expand their girls’ empowerment program.

The Foundation connected Bria and Royal with the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy in Eastover, where they spent last weekend teaching a group of female Cadets how to build self-esteem and be positive role models. Now that these at-risk teens are familiar with the curriculum and class activities, those who choose to continue with the program can work with Bria and Royal to become official GRL-PWR mentors for younger girls.

South Carolina is the third state to get a taste of GRL-PWR.

It started in Virginia three years ago when Bria and Royal were students at Freedom High School in Loudoun County. They had been through challenges that are common to at-risk youth, including low self-esteem, poverty, divorce, domestic violence and family tragedy. At age 16, Bria went through the ordeal of confronting her father’s murderer in court. Instead of becoming victims of their situation, Bria and Royal bonded and created a program to help other at-risk girls. GRL-PWR won first place in last year’s Loudoun Youth Step Up competition, which our Foundation sponsors. Step Up gives teens the opportunity to develop solutions to problems they see in their communities.

Encouraged by the recognition from YouthQuest and Loudoun Youth, Bria and Royal turned GRL-PWR into a nonprofit organization and set their sights on reaching more girls. As freshmen at Spelman College in Atlanta, they launched a GRL-PWR class for 5th and 6th graders at a charter school. They’re starting a program on the Spelman campus to train students to be mentors for younger girls.

The YouthQuest Foundation will continue to help Bria and Royal take GRL-PWR to Youth ChalleNGe academies in states from coast to coast.