Young Moms Get Model Inspiration for Careers

Fifty teenage mothers from across Los Angeles County were given career advice, mothering tips and a shoulder to lean on at the Athletes and Entertainers 12th Annual Mothers and Daughters Tea on Saturday.

The event, hosted by model Kathy Ireland and co-sponsored by beauty-care giant Sebastian International Inc., linked teenage mothers with women from various professions.

“This lets the girls see all the opportunities out there for them,” said Elise Kim, founder and chief executive officer of Athletes and Entertainers, a nonprofit group dedicated to encouraging youths to stay in school.

It was Ireland’s ninth year hosting the event. During that time she has acted as a mentor to several girls.

“We want to give these young mothers a sense of direction and to let them know they’re not alone,” said Ireland, who is pregnant with her second child. “They all have a lot of questions and we want to help them find the answers.”

Throughout the day, the young mothers and their mentors participated in workshops dealing with prenatal and postnatal care, domestic conflict resolution and preparing for job interviews. The daylong event also included beauty tips and a fashion show.

But the workshop mentors said the main reason they assembled at Sebastian’s headquarters was to let the young mothers know they were not alone.

“You have to believe in yourselves and never, ever give up,” Donna Federico, a mentor and senior director of marketing at the company, said to a room full of young mothers. “I came to L.A. a single mom with two daughters and $500 to my name, but I made it. So can you.”