ANDERSON — A non-profit in Madison County is working to change the lives of teen girls one day at a time.
Veronica Watkins says she founded Sistas of Royalty in 2018 as a way as a safe place for young girls to find mentorship.
"So when I meet them and talk to them I share my story," Watkins said. "I want them to know that there is more to life than crime.”
Watkins said she faced adversity at a young age and when she wanted to open up, she said she didn’t have anyone who she felt comfortable opening up to.
"I wanted to give the girls of this generation what we didn’t get," Watkins said.
That feeling of finding someone that you can talk to is what drove Watkins to start Sistas of Royalty.
“So for me to say, 'Hey I was once your age I made that same decision,' and offer them a different alternative is awesome,” Veronica Watkins said.
According to the Madison County Detention Center, more than 200 kids have gotten a referral for an arrest so far in 2023. In 2022, there were 508.
“It gives them an outlet and a place to go other than the streets,” Watkins added.
Fast forward to 2023, the free program focuses on everything from finding your inner self to financial literacy and even talking about what are the next steps after high school.
Watkins says her group focuses on girls from 11 to 18.
“We mentor them from hygiene to learning about their next steps once they graduate high school,” Watkins went onto say. The mentorship and sense of belonging is what helped women like Tessa Lagle want to go to college.
“I haven’t really been around my dad much and I live with my grandmother – so really, I’ve just had my grandmother my whole life. She has been my mom and dad,” Lagle added.
Lagle says she is set to attend Ball State University, but she admits the accomplishment wouldn’t be without the help of SOR.
“They have really helped me done things with my life and inspire me,” Lagle added. Watkins says Sistas of royalty is free of charge for any girls from 11 to 18.
Watkins adds that high school seniors will receive at $500 education scholarship towards college or trade school. For more information on the SOR you can click here.
