On the island of Grand Bahama, a decades-long initiative focused on uplifting young women has entered its latest iteration. The Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. officially launched its 39th annual Twenty Pearls signature programme on October 8, opening with a celebratory pinning ceremony hosted at the scenic Rand Nature Center for over 40 selected high school participants.
Under this year’s event theme “The Power of Excellence”, Senator D’Asante Small took the stage as the keynote speaker to address the 46 high school girls gathered for the ceremony. Each student received a custom program pin to mark their acceptance into the year-long development initiative, joining a legacy of hundreds of young women who have taken part in the program over nearly four decades.
In her remarks, Small urged the young participants to frame excellence not as a one-time achievement or a final end goal, but as an ongoing daily practice shaped by intentional habits. She emphasized that consistent personal growth is rooted in four core pillars: self-discipline, intentional leadership, personal responsibility, and supportive sisterhood. “Excellence is just not a destination. It’s about your habits, your discipline, your commitment, your courage to show up every day and just be your better selves,” Small told the crowd of students, mentors, and community members.
Beyond personal practice, Small highlighted the critical role that mentorship plays in expanding young women’s horizons. Visibility of women in leadership positions, she explained, helps young people recognize the full scope of opportunities available to them, rather than limiting their ambitions based on limited representation. She also called on established women leaders across the country to remain accessible to emerging generations, offering guidance as young women navigate both personal milestones and early professional pathways.
Small added that young women today require more tangible, real-world support than what they can access through social media platforms. Positive role modeling, structured guidance, and direct exposure to career pathways, professional development opportunities, and college scholarships are all essential to helping young women turn their ambitions into action, she noted.
Reflecting on the program’s nearly 40-year history, Small praised the relentless commitment of the sorority members who have sustained the initiative since its launch. She noted that the program’s longevity itself stands as a testament to the sacrifice and dedication of generations of volunteers, and that it has created a powerful intergenerational pipeline: passing a vision of empowerment from older sorority members to young students, who then go on to contribute positively to their home communities.
Alisa Arthur, chair of the Twenty Pearls Committee, outlined the full scope of programming that participants will engage in over the coming months. Throughout the program, students will take part in structured church outreach and community service projects, alongside targeted skill-building sessions focused on college application readiness, career exploration, leadership development, and self-awareness.
The year-long initiative will wrap up on April 4, 2027, with a formal awards ceremony that will celebrate participants’ growth across academic achievement, community engagement, and leadership. At that event, the sorority will also award need-based and merit scholarships to qualifying participants. Arthur shared that the 2023-2024 program cycle awarded more than $15,000 in total scholarship funding to three participants. Two of those recipients earned full scholarships to attend Philander Smith College, while the third received a partial scholarship to LeMoyne-Owen College.
As the program enters its 39th year, Arthur reaffirmed the local chapter’s unwavering commitment to the founding legacy established back in 1987. For nearly four decades, the program has centered on providing mentorship and hands-on opportunities to help young Bahamian women build the practical skills and confidence they need to thrive in higher education and their future careers, a mission that remains unchanged today.