Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was one of three speakers to present $1 million in college scholarships to high school students from underserved communities across Los Angeles. Lawrence kicked off the scholarship's presentation, which were handed out to participants in THR's mentorship program, a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles.
00:00Hello, everyone, and thank you so much for having me here today.
00:05I'm thrilled to be here to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Hollywood Reporters Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program and Scholarship Fund.
00:15But before we get to that, I'd like to spend a moment to tell you about the incredible woman that you're about to meet,
00:22someone I am honored to share the stage with today.
00:26Her name is Amanda Zarofsky, and though she was forced to endure something no person should ever,
00:33she walked away from that experience with an unwavering commitment to justice and the resilience and strength to share her experiences in the hopes that other women wouldn't suffer the same way she did.
00:46By this definition, she and the other women in Zarofsky v. Texas are heroes.
00:52In an extraordinary effort to regain a woman's right to freedom, Amanda was the lead plaintiff in the legal fight against the state of Texas's abortion bans.
01:02The film follows Amanda Zarofsky, Samantha Cassiano, and Dr. Austin Denard, who have been denied essential medical care,
01:10along with their heroic attorney, Molly Duane, from Center for Reproductive Rights, who is fighting tooth and nail on behalf of these women every day.
01:19Amanda's fight is more than just her own. It's a fight for all women who are powerless against an unjust system,
01:28for women who are victims to society's silence and apathy for women.
01:33Her bravery in the face of adversity reminds us all that one person, one woman, can spark the change we need to see in the world.
01:42There is nothing more deeply personal to a woman and to families than the birth or the loss of a child.
01:50Abortion is one of the most talked about issues in our country and yet the most confused and misunderstood.
01:56Today, Amanda is not just the subject of a documentary. She's a symbol of resilience and a beacon of hope.
02:05It is my absolute privilege to introduce you to Amanda Zarofsky.
02:09Amanda Zarofsky.
02:28Jennifer Lawrence and thank you to all of you for being here today I am deeply
02:37honored to stand before such a powerful group of women many of whom have broken
02:43barriers and are continuing to pave the way for others I'm here today to join in
02:50the celebration of the graduates of the Hollywood reporters women in
02:53entertainment mentorship program by sharing my personal story with all of you
03:03I want you to know the power of your voice and your choices are never small I
03:10was 18 weeks pregnant when my water broke and I was told my daughter wouldn't
03:15survive citing Texas's abortion laws my doctors were unable to terminate the
03:21pregnancy until I eventually developed sepsis three days later I nearly died in
03:29that moment I realized how essential it is to own our agency especially as women
03:36and how absolutely critical it is to stand up and fight for what's right to the
03:44young women here today especially those of you in the membership mentorship program
03:48you have the potential to change everything this program is surrounding
03:54you with those who are helping you to unlock your potential giving you the tools
03:59you need and reminding you that your voice can change the world you have the
04:06power to demand more for your health your education your careers your futures and no one
04:16should ever take that power away from you the women in this room are here to
04:28support you every step of the way thanks to the Hollywood reporters women in
04:32entertainment mentorship program now please join me in watching a brief film about it I am
04:44powerful I have my own path to follow and I am worthy of every single one of my dreams
04:50we all need mentors no matter what age we need somebody who cares profoundly about us and who'll
04:58listen and give us advice without wanting anything from it what if actually we open the doors to a
05:05whole generation of young women who want to be like the women in this room the mission of the
05:12mentorship program is to create a pipeline of more diverse voices going into the entertainment industry
05:19we're here to throw things out change people's minds maybe try things and have ideas and not be
05:28frightened a program like this that provides mentors at the highest level at the top of their game
05:35giving them advice guidance opening doors for them is really important particularly in an industry that's
05:41based on relationships it's important to have an impact on the next generation of entertainment
05:48executives and to open doors and that was done for me so I was excited about it here I'm just so happy I've
05:54grown because it really like has just made my life better you need a support system and I didn't have
06:00that before so I'm really glad that you push me to get that this is our time and you made it happen and you
06:09really did and all the girls that are the mentees they're the future and I know the future is in very good
06:17hands when I look at them it's been about exposing you to as much of the things that you have interest in as
06:24possible so that you get to see what you connect to and what you don't and ask the questions that
06:29you want it's very cool I feel like I've learned from Anna that I am allowed to dream big being able
06:39to freely be a creative person surrounded by people who are also passionate about the things that I'm
06:47passionate about wherever we can share the knowledge that we have the experience we have and mostly the
06:54opportunity we're really lucky and so I want to create that opportunity for other people who are
06:58interested whether it's just a piece of advice or some kind of inspiration you also have somebody that
07:05you can talk to and turn to I'm there for you she's like a confidant like I tell her everything
07:11like we've gone into two pretty detailed stuff and it's just nice knowing that she's been there
07:17supporting me through all this and especially now through college app season it's nice knowing that
07:22I have that support system and someone to lean on the industry needs women that have grown up in Los
07:29Angeles from these communities for so many of us in the media what we think about and what we care
07:35about is what do young people think about the work that we're doing and how it impacts them and
07:40media has changed so much and so quickly and their voices really do matter the most incredible thing
07:48is when you see these teenagers and then a year later you see how they've grown and how they've
07:56changed and the single biggest thing that changes is that belief in themselves what I've learned most
08:03from Laura is that you know women in male-dominated fields have the possibility to be successful
08:09you can be yourself and thrive you can find success through the strangest winding roads and you
08:19never know what's around the corner you just never know so hang in there guys take one I don't need
08:29to fit into anyone else's idea of what a leader should look like it's about being true to myself
08:34about using my voice to inspire others and showing people what's possible and even if the world doesn't
08:40see it yet I know I'm going to make a difference I can feel it I will be a trailblazer the one who
08:47makes it easier for others to follow this world is ready for me together we're unstoppable this is our time
08:53get ready for us
08:59thank you lifetime and any networks for telling the story of this incredible program lifetime has generously
09:19supported the mentorship program since its inception and I'm thrilled to share that lifetime is giving a
09:25ten-thousand-dollar scholarship to every woman graduating from the program to the school of their
09:30choice and Selena Gomez is giving a billion this year the women and entertainment mentorship program has
09:48become a fiscally sponsored fund of the entertainment industry foundation EIF is joining big brothers big
09:55sisters and oversight of the mentorship program with the Hollywood reporter and will help these young
10:01women become career ready while they pursue their education now before we announce our scholarship winners
10:08I'd like to welcome the incoming class of 2025 mentees
10:13the prompter said wave and I was like
10:20um we have a little surprise for you to help you get started on the journey and we put on my Oprah voice
10:27to support up-and-coming young business creatives exactly like you every new member of the mentorship program
10:34will receive a brand new Apple MacBook Air and we're going to give them to you right now
10:41you get a computer you get a computer thank you oh I thought he was like ma'am stop
10:53ma'am ooh
11:00Leslie Rodriguez Lawndale High School
11:08thanks to our donors this year we're presenting more than one million dollars in scholarships to Chapman
11:14and Loyola monument Marymount University and Amanda and I will be presenting the first two that's what's happening
11:20okay thank you to Chapman Danielle Strupa and Stephen Galloway and LMU's Tim Snyder and Joanne Moore
11:27for making college education more accessible to all
11:32I'm sorry the first of four scholarships we are giving today is to Chapman University
11:39they will all be humiliated one by one
11:42as generously provided by the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation
11:47when I announce the name of the winner
11:52I'd like you and your mentor to please come join me on stage
12:00and the winner is Leslie Rodriguez-Wanda
12:04I can't
12:20I didn't prepare a speech because I was in question
12:25So I didn't prepare a speech because I was in denial, but I want to say, like, thank
12:38you to the mentorship program, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of L.A., Women's Entertainment.
12:44Thank you to our coordinators, Alma and Lizette, who helped us with the whole journey, and
12:49to my mentor, Sasha Silver.
12:50I learned a lot about myself through this mentorship program growing up.
12:58I was very shy and quiet, and, like, I still kind of am, but I guess I've learned a lot
13:05of life lessons I could take away from here and apply it in the future to try and make
13:10a more inclusive entertainment world.
13:16And I guess thank you so much to getting this scholarship.
13:24And thank you to, like, everybody, all the women here.
13:26You guys have inspired me a lot, like Selena Gomez and Jennifer Lawrence.
13:30I looked up to them a lot since I was young.
13:32And I would like to thank my parents and my family for always believing in me.
13:37And all my friends that I made in the Women's Entertainment program, I couldn't have done
13:40it without them.
13:41Yeah.
13:42I'm trying not to cry.
13:47I'm so inspired by all of you.
14:11Thank you to the Chuck Lorre and Trisha Cardoso families for your generous spirit and
14:18unwavering support
14:19For the past eight years the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation has provided scholarships for graduates of our mentorship program
14:26Today they are going to give one more scholarship for one deserving woman to attend Loyola Marymount University
14:34I'd like the winner of the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation scholarship to LMU and her mentor to come on stage when I say her name
14:42The winner is not before
14:48Josie Piberol-Racinos Carson Senior High School
15:11It's so scary up here
15:23my mentor couldn't be here today, but I'll keep her updated to let her know what happened
15:29I just want to say thank you to LMU, to the, oh sorry, to LMU, Ms. Moore, Chuck Lorre Family
15:43Foundation, thank you so much, WIE, Alma, thank you so much, my cohort, you guys are
15:50so amazing, and it's been an amazing year with this program, and I want to thank my
15:57support, Ms. Rodriguez, I'm going to show you this video when I go to school, Ms. Rendon,
16:05Ms. Lafau, Ms. Harris, I want to thank my grandma, she was praying for this moment, and
16:10her prayers came true, and I really want to thank my dad, who has pushed me to do the
16:18best, and I love him so much, thank you everyone.
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