They talked about resilience, careers, self-doubt and the importance of spiritual nourishment.
About 22 young women at Regis Jesuit High School sat in a semicircle, riveted by stories from Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter and actress Alfre Woodard, who worked to guide and empower the teens.
Woodard said people in New York laughed when she said her goal was to become a film actress, because back then, there was no such thing.
“I countered that mentally,” she said. “Not fighting against them, but affirming. I would say, ‘God can’t be robbed of his expression.’ “
Ritter nodded and jumped in. “That’s a remarkable practice,” she said. “If we’re not careful, we pick up (negative) cultural messages.”
Being mindful of those messages, Ritter said, can stop a slide down that slippery slope: “It’s important to listen inside to what has real power.” Colleen O’Connor
