Mentors Matter: Morgan Alumna Leads PrettyGirl Academy 

Mentoring matters, especially in the developmental stages of a young person’s life. According to mentoring.org, 74 percent of those who had a meaningful mentor in their youth say that that person contributed significantly to their success later in life. 

Erika Johnson, founder and executive director of Annapolis, Maryland-based PrettyGirl Academy, Inc. (PGA) invests in mentoring girls in their formative years. Johnson’s own beginning of being surrounded by a loving family who pushed excellence is intertwined in the work she does today running a community-based organization. 

“My dad, Rev. Richard Johnson III, and my mother, Dr. Karen V. Johnson, started a church when I was three years old,” said Johnson.

She spent substantial time with the late Frances Brown, her grandmother and a former elementary school teacher. However, a life-changing event occurred.

“My father passed when I was 12 years old and that is what sparked the creation of PrettyGirl. As a 12-year-old with no dad to reaffirm me, I struggled with depression and anxiety not knowing what it was,” Erika candidly shared that her mother was attentive to her children. 

Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Morgan State University in Baltimore and credits people in South County and Prince George’s County for participating in rearing her. She founded PGA in 2015. It empowers; promotes education; accountability; responsibility; encourages girls to learn to embrace their uniqueness; and fosters resilience amongst “sisters” in the mentoring program. Seventeen volunteer women mentors lend a hand.

“The ages we mentor are 11-17 years old,” Johnson noted.

PGA’s main program is held one Saturday monthly from October to June. Programming has been held at Meade Middle School and Walter E. Mills-Parole Elementary School during the week. 

The mentor added, “We teach them [mentees] their history, but we also prepare them for a world that can be unfair. We help them understand prejudice and sexism and give them the tools to stand up for themselves.”

Vanessa Renee Cain, a single, busy working parent residing in Millersville, Maryland, who raises 13-year-old Princess Bradford and 12-year-old De’Aubrie Sheppard found out about PGA while attending First Christian Community Church.

“I met Erika on a more personal level when my child (De’Aubrie Sheppard) lost her father, and she wouldn’t eat or sleep very well for days. I remember taking my daughter to the altar and it was Erika who prayed over my child and dedicated her personal time to talk with De’Aubrie right after service without being asked to. It was then I learned about The Pretty Girl Academy,” said Cain. 

The mother pointed out that some children may not want to discuss certain matters with their parents. PGA mentors allow mentees to be transparent and confide in them.

De’Aubrie mentioned that PrettyGirl Academy has helped her to maintain her self-esteem and become more sociable around other teens. Princess added that being a PGA mentee aided her in working with unfamiliar people and being able to be comfortable in new environments. 

“PrettyGirl Academy helped make me to feel like I always have someone to support me even if it’s not close family members,” Princess said.

Selina Holmes, a married, working Bowie, Maryland mother, also found out about PGA as a First Christian Community Church of Annapolis member. Her 14-year-old daughter, Kira Holmes joined PrettyGirl in the fall of 2021.

“In terms of focus areas, they have covered a wide range of topics from self-care to sisterhood and entrepreneurship to leadership,” Selina said. “Kira has grown in numerous ways in her time with PrettyGirl. The change that stands out the most is her self-confidence. She has never been shy but, unsure of her reception or her own abilities, she was hesitant to try new things and meet new people. PrettyGirl provided a safe environment for her to be herself but also affirmed her in a way that built her self-assuredness outside of the program as well, including athletics, academics and social interactions.”

Kira’s favorite subject is biology. She stated that PrettyGirl provides a place where she is not judged and she can ask for advice.

“PrettyGirl has helped me grow academically because they push me to do better in my classes. They have helped me make new friends and gain closer bonds. They have also helped me as a young leader by encouraging me to advocate for myself,” Kira added.

The next PGA cohort will begin in January 2026. However, because many girls try to join the program, applications are already available for the new season. There are no set residency requirements for girls to participate as long as they can get to meetings. Girls must be in the sixth to tenth grade to join.  

Visit https://www.prettygirlacademy.org/mentee-application to complete an application and www.prettygirlacademy.org to learn more about PGA.