Ladies With Purpose Debutante Cotillion
By Tabitha Ervin,
Editorial Director
The Ladies With Purpose Debutante Cotillion is back after a few years off (since 2017) and I had an opportunity to speak with Dawn Smith (past Cotillion winner) and Anita Dortch (past Cotillion participant) who chair the event. The 2023 Fort Wayne Cotillion will take place March 18, 2023, AN AFFAIRE EXTRAORDINAIRE at the Parkview Mirro Center. This event has been happening in the city of Fort Wayne since the 1960’s and has been a staple to present young ladies to the community in excellence. As they continue to expand, the committee is excited to welcome African American young ladies from various backgrounds in our community to participate. The event focuses on high school juniors and seniors over a 6 month period of time as they participate in various workshops, learn specific dances and raise money to support the scholarships they will receive. The young ladies will be exposed to workshops and speakers on topics such as etiquette, healthy relationships, mental health, suicide prevention, scholarships, academic excellence and more! They will also participate in community service hours, receive recognition and financial support for scholarships, develop leadership, self-understanding, cultural appreciation and more!
Various awards will be given which include: participation, community service, perfect attendance, scholastic achievement, essay, escort, Mr. Personality and Ms. Cotillion to name a few.
Some past winners include: Alberta Jones (1991), Shondra Miree (1992), Jametra Dickey (1993), Kristie Davis (1995), Angela Britton (1997), Dawn Brooks (1999), Preandra Jones (2001), Kyndal Carr (2003), Kendall Isadore (2005), Ebony Brown (2007), Mia Stevenson (2009), Jache’ Irvin-Whittaker (2011), Sydni Kinchen (2013), Miracle Prince (2015), Lauryn Jones (2017).
Helena James, a past participant and 2019 graduate from the University of Notre Dame
Business Analytics and Public Policy provided this testimonial:
“I would absolutely recommend this experience! I would also say that overall, I was able to engage with an amazing community and from my experience, I am still in contact with some people from the Cotillion. This created lasting bonds and amazing memories for me and my family.
The cotillion was a way for me to connect with a part of the Fort Wayne community I was not previously exposed to. I met amazing people and was a part of something that had a lot of historical significance. On top of my experience, I was able to use the scholarship money toward books and college expenses. Overall, I would participate in the Cotillion again and the experience overall was incredibly worthwhile.”
Please contact Anita Dortch at dortchanita45@gmail.com or Dawn Smith at fwcotillion@gmail.com for questions or refer to the facebook page for the packet. Mail completed application packet to:
Anita Dortch
2920 Andre Lane
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
Also the committee is seeking community donors and sponsors. Please contact Anita for more information on how to donate.
Criteria for participation:
Education is a core value of the Ladies With Purpose Debutante Cotillion. All young ladies who apply must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 unless they have special needs or extenuating circumstances that will be reviewed by the committee. Other requirements include no criminal history, childless and not pregnant, provide official transcript, submit two letters of recommendation and write a 300-word essay on “Why I Want to be a Debutante” and pay $250 non-refundable registration fee.
The Mission Statement: The Ladies with Purpose Debutante Cotillion seeks to equip, encourage, and enhance the success of Multi-cultural/African American junior and senior high school young ladies, by encouraging and supporting their pursuit of higher education, personal development and civic involvement.
Vision Statement: Ladies with Purpose seeks to motivate and inspire young ladies to appreciate their individual value and make positive decisions regarding their future through exposure to new, exciting, and thought provoking opportunities.
Program Values
· Education: Participants are expected to maintain success in the classroom and are recognized for their efforts through college scholarships. We also strive to support our young ladies through educational workshops and activities that will encourage their academic success in high school and college.
· Personal Development: Participants will learn skills of poise, grace and good citizenship. There is also a focus on helping the young ladies develop strong leadership skills, high ethical standards, a confident sound character, and social etiquette skills.
· Service: The importance of service engagement is emphasized throughout the program. Participants are expected to participate in worthwhile civic and community service activities.
