Maiyah Hall, ‘23, was recently one of 10 Hillsborough County high school juniors honored as a Young Woman of Promise by the Athena Society!
In addition to being the co-founder and president of Tampa Prep’s Black Student Union and president of Women of Kolor Empowered, Maiyah also is the co-captain of the Tampa Prep varsity girls’ basketball team, the Teen President for Jack and Jill of America, a Bronze Award recipient from Girls Scouts of America and serves as a committee member for Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. Gamma Theta Omega Chapter Precious Pearls Youth Group.
The Young Women of Promise program is a long-standing tradition of Athena to recognize and support young women who are contributing members of their communities and demonstrate promise for even greater achievement. This program honors young women in their junior year of high school for their academic, athletic, community service and other achievements. These remarkable teenagers are selected from throughout the Tampa Bay community and are stellar models of young leadership.
The Athena Society is an organization of Tampa professionals who have demonstrated leadership in the community and committed themselves to promoting equality and opportunity for women. Started in 1976 to support passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, Athena remains true to its shared purpose today.
From the beginning, Athena members have worked to improve the status of women by producing programs and forums designed to assist women who were in or returning to the work force. One of its highly successful annual projects is the Dr. Sylvia Richardson Young Women of Promise, a program designed to honor eight to ten high school juniors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their community. These young women set a standard of excellence; they are role models today and have the potential to be our future leaders. Each year the Society also awards the Phyllis P. Marshall grants which provide career assistance to striving economically disadvantaged women. The money may be used for tuition, books, childcare, transportation or needed career equipment. The Phyllis P. Marshall grants are awarded from the endowed Athena Fund, a part of the Community Foundation.
Athena Society continues to promote equality through the removal of artificial boundaries to success and by fostering leadership through collaboration and education. Athena is guided by the selfless spirit of founding member Nancy Torbett Ford (1927–2001), who often reminded us “from those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
