Women in Training, Inc. Seeking Girls & Young Women who Want to Lead our Global Community
- Adeyela Bennett
- Sep 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 7
Women in Training, Inc. is accepting applications from girls in Grades 5 through 11 for Cohort IV of the WIT Leadership Development Academy. The Academy consists of academic and ACT tutoring, experiential learning opportunities, financial literacy training and weekend retreats for the young leaders, who are affectionately called WIT Monarchs.
The WIT Leadership Development Academy is the brainchild of teenagers, Breanna and Brooke Bennett, Founders of Women in Training, Inc. and CNN Heroes Young Wonders of 2024. Please click the photo to watch the CNN Heroes broadcast.
"Our goal is to help girls and young women flourish into globally conscious leaders who care about themselves and the world around them," said Adeyela Bennett, WIT President and Chief Engagement Officer. "There is no cost to participate, as the program is fully funded by the generosity of our donors, sponsors and volunteers."
The application deadline is Sunday, September 7, 2025; the application is HERE.
All candidates must interview as part of the application process. Interviews will be held on Sunday, September 14, 2025, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at a location in Montgomery, Alabama.
The WIT Board of Directors elected Yeye Olosunde Aduke, MSW, to serve as Vice President for Youth Development for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Ms. Glynnis Young, PSY.M, NCC, will serve as Mental Health Specialist for the WIT Leadership Development Academy.
Chief Master Sergeant (Ret.) Beverly Davison-Hill, EdD, is returning to the WIT Leadership Development Academy as Leadership Advisor. Dr. Davison-Hill volunteered with the inaugural WIT Leadership Development Academy Steering Committee in 2021-2022.
From left to right: Yeye Olosunde Aduke, MSW; Ms. Glynnis Young, PSY.M, NCC; and Chief Master Sergeant (Ret.) Beverly Davison-Hill, EdD
Other Steering Committee members include:
Josephine Jordan
Danielle Hogan, MS, MEd; and
Keturah Stone, WIT Social Media Manager.
From left to right: Josephine Jordan; Danielle Hogan, MS, MEd; and Keturah Stone
The inaugural cohort was fearlessly led by Stephanie McCorvey, PT, DPT, Women in Training, Inc. Vice President for Youth Development in 2021-2022.
All members of Cohorts I, II and III of the WIT Leadership Development Academy have graduated from high school and enrolled in universities, including:
Alabama A & M University
Auburn University
Hampton University
Howard University
Huntingdon College
Pennsylvania State University
University of Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame
University of South Alabama
Below are some of the graduates of the WIT Leadership Development Academy.
"Being part of diverse young women's development was the joy of a lifetime," said Beverly Davison-Hill, EdD, from the Inaugural WIT Leadership Development Academy Steering Committee. "Seeing them develop as responsible, community-minded citizens with clear directions for their future was unmatched. I would like to think the adults who shared wisdom and guidance in their development helped shape who they are becoming."
Since 2024, Women in Training, Inc. selects one senior member of the WIT Leadership Developmen Academy as the Monarch of Distinction. In 2024, the honor went to Gabrielle Johns, and to Savannah Williams in 2025.
Some highlights of the WIT Leadership Development Academy include the following activities:
WIT Women's Film Festival at the Capri Theater
STEM, Arts and Government (SAG) Tour to Washington, D.C
Advocacy for Alabama House Bill 50, the Period Poverty Law
WIT Judicial Experience: Women of the Bench and Bar
WIT Monarchs and friends with former Women in Training, Inc. Board Member, The Honorable Judge Brooke Reid, in the rear on the far right. Seated are Alabama federal judges Hon. Emily C. Marks, Hon. Kelly Pate, and Hon. Jerusha Adams. State Farm Teen Driver Safety Workshop
Focus on the Civil Rights Movement and Empathy: An Experiential Learning Workshop
WIT Young Leaders Meet the Mothers of Gynecology
WIT Experiential Learning Tour to Selma and Gee's Bend Quilters
WIT Monarchs Vision Board Party
Inaugural WIT Leadership Development Academy
Crowning Ceremony at the WIT Mother-Daughter Brunch
Sacredness of Menstruation Workshop
Graduation Tea
Please click the button below to help sponsor a girl or young woman in the WIT Leadership Development Academy. The budgeted expense per participant is $2,500 for the year; , there is no cost to the families. Donors and sponsors contribute to cover all expenses.
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