A Special Evening of Legacy: The 14th Annual Gala

Oct 7

6 min read

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Our 14th Annual Girls With Pearls Gala: Fourteen Pearls of Legacy is fast approaching, and this year’s celebration is especially meaningful.

Fourteen Pearls of Legacy is a celebration of the young girls whose voices have grown stronger, whose confidence has deepened, and whose sense of purpose continues to develop through Girls With Pearls. It reflects fourteen years of mentorship, leadership, sisterhood, service, and love. This legacy has been strengthened by families who believed in the vision, mentors who gave their time and wisdom, alumnae who continue to inspire, and supporters who have remained committed to our mission. Most importantly, it represents every young girl who has walked through our doors and discovered that her voice matters, her dreams have value, and her life carries purpose. Together, these stories have shaped fourteen years of Girls With Pearls and created a legacy that will continue for generations.

This year carries a particularly profound meaning for me. My mother passed away on June 1, 2026. She understood the depth of my commitment to Girls With Pearls and believed deeply in the work God had placed before me. During difficult seasons, when discouragement made me consider giving up, she reminded me to continue. I wish I could speak with her about this gala and all that it represents. Yet her encouragement remains with me, especially when I think of a young girl who simply needs someone to believe in her potential and remind her that her life has purpose.

Recently, while ministering in South Africa, I spoke from Esther 4:14 and reflected on the connection between our PEARLS framework and Esther’s life and purpose. Esther’s position in the palace gave her access, but her courage, discernment, and obedience determined what she would do with that access. We often talk about the price of purpose, but we do not always talk about the cost. The price may be what you pay to get there through preparation, discipline, education, hard work, and perseverance. The cost is often found in the sacrifices required to remain faithful once you arrive.

Some sacrifices are painful. The cost may include relationships that change, people who walk away, disappointment from those you trusted, betrayal you never expected, or seasons when doing what is right leaves you standing alone. There may be moments when obedience costs more than you thought you were prepared to give. Esther understood this reality. Her place in the palace came with privilege, but answering her call required sacrifice. She had to decide whether protecting her comfort was more important than fulfilling her purpose.

Her story continues to challenge me with a deeply personal question: “What is my palace, and whom has God called me to reach while I am there?”

I invite you to consider that question as well. What is your palace? Where has God positioned you, and whose life are you called to impact while you are there? Your palace may be a classroom, a school, a workplace, a church, a family, or a community. Sometimes we become so focused on reaching the next place that we overlook the purpose connected to the place God has already entrusted to us. Access carries responsibility, and influence carries responsibility. The question is how we choose to use both.

That question resonates deeply with my own journey. I have lived through seasons that tested my faith and my resolve. There were people who expected, and perhaps even hoped, that I would fail. Had I allowed those voices to determine my direction, I might have abandoned the assignment God placed on my life.

Those experiences also taught me the importance of discernment. Not everything requires an announcement. Some prayers, plans, struggles, and dreams are meant to remain between you and God until the appointed time to act. Esther understood the value of wisdom and timing. She knew when to remain silent, but she also recognized the moment when silence was no longer an option.

Esther stood for her people at tremendous personal risk. Her example reminds us that courage does not always begin on a grand stage. Sometimes it begins close to home. A classroom, a family, a church, or a neighborhood may become the very place where God calls a young girl to speak, serve, advocate, or lead.

I want our girls to understand that a season outside the spotlight does not mean their lives have been overlooked. Preparation often happens quietly. Character is formed when no one is applauding. Wisdom grows through listening, learning, and experience. A willingness to be taught today may prepare a young girl for responsibilities she cannot yet imagine. Like Esther, she may one day discover that the place God has positioned her carries a purpose far greater than she initially understood.

At this year’s gala, we will have the privilege of recognizing our four inaugural Legacy Scholars: Parker Cuff, Kamaya Ortiz, Makayla Ortiz, and Mazayla Napier. Each Legacy Scholar will receive a scholarship in recognition of her journey and as an investment in her future. I am immensely proud of their growth and grateful that Girls With Pearls can continue to support them as they enter the next chapter of their lives.

Their journeys also remind me why this work has mattered for fourteen years. Girls With Pearls has never been about programs, events, crowns, or galas. It has always been about the young girl who needs encouragement, direction, opportunity, and someone willing to see what she may not yet see within herself. It is about helping her discover her voice, develop her character, recognize her gifts, and understand that God created her life with purpose.

To our girls, I hope this gala reminds you how deeply you are loved, valued, and believed in. Never underestimate the significance of your voice or the possibilities within your life. There will be seasons of preparation, seasons of sacrifice, and moments that require courage. There may even be times when the cost of purpose feels greater than you expected. Continue anyway. Learn. Listen. Pray. Remain teachable. Guard what God has placed within you, and have the courage to use your voice when the moment requires it.

Esther could not have known at the beginning of her journey everything that would eventually be required of her. Yet when her moment came, she was positioned and prepared. My prayer is that every girl connected to Girls With Pearls will recognize her own moment, understand the responsibility that comes with her gifts, and have the courage to walk fully in her purpose.

Perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons of Esther’s story and one of the lessons I hope our girls carry with them: You may not always understand why God has placed you where you are, but never assume your placement is without purpose. You, too, may have been positioned for such a time as this.

Inaugural Legacy Scholars

Parker Cuff

Mazayla Napier

Kamaya Ortiz

Makayla Ortiz

Meet Our Girls

Alanna D.

Lyric G.

Aliyah G.

Saraya B.

Destiny L.

Camille L.

Maliah S.

Charolotte C.

Zoe G.

Rileigh D.

Charleigh D.

Janelle H.

Mistress of Ceremony

Imani Harrell

We are also excited to have Imani serving as our Mistress of Ceremonies. Her presence will add even more joy and energy to this very special celebration.

This gala is particularly meaningful because we will also be honoring the memory and legacy of Dr. Kamika’s mother. One of this year’s scholarships will be presented in her name, creating a beautiful connection between a cherished legacy and the future of one of our young women.

This is more than an evening of celebration. It is a celebration of legacy, education, leadership, and opportunity.

We would love for you to join us as we honor our Four Legacy Scholars and celebrate all of the young women who make Girls With Pearls so special.

To our parents, alumnae, sponsors, volunteers, and friends, thank you for believing in this vision and for sustaining Girls With Pearls throughout these fourteen years. Your prayers, trust, service, generosity, and presence have helped make this legacy possible.

My mother asked me to keep the legacy going. On November 1, as our girls take the stage, I will carry her words with me. I will also remember Esther, a young woman whose place in the palace was more than a position; it was an opportunity to fulfill a purpose.

That is my prayer for every girl we serve: that she will recognize the significance of where God has placed her, develop the courage to use her gifts well, and come to understand that her life, too, carries purpose.

Join us on Sunday, November 1, 2026, from 4:00 7:00 PM at the Hotel Du Pont as we come together to celebrate our girls, honor their achievements, and recognize the importance of investing in their futures.

🎟️ Get your gala tickets here:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/girls-with-pearls-14th-annual-gala-the-finale

We look forward to celebrating this unforgettable evening with you!

With gratitude,

Dr. Kamika Lynette Bell, Founder & CEO

Girls With Pearls