A GIRL'S GIFT inc

10/22/2025

Our Debutante Cotillion is Launching in Chicago!

What began 16 years ago in Indianapolis and expanded through our Charlotte Debutante Cotillion is growing once again — this time in the city that raised and inspired our founder, Ericka Gibson.

This moment marks a powerful milestone for our organization. After years of serving and empowering young women in communities across the country, A Girl’s Gift is proud to bring its signature leadership, confidence, and scholarship programming home to the greater Chicagoland area.

Our Chicago Debutante Cotillion begins January 19, 2026, and we’re assembling a class of 15 extraordinary high school juniors and seniors who are ready to grow, lead, and shine. Applications are open now and accepted on a rolling basis through December 11, 2025. Don’t wait — spots fill fast!

Programming will take place in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, and we welcome applications from students across the entire Chicagoland region.

At A Girl’s Gift, we believe transformation happens when confidence meets opportunity. The 15 young women selected will embark on a journey of elegance, sisterhood, and purpose — raising scholarship funds for college and preparing to lead in every space they enter.

We can’t wait to make magic happen right here in Chicago.

If you know a high school junior or senior who should be part of this life-changing experience, tag her below or share this post with her family.

Now accepting Applications! www.agirlsgift.org

04/05/2021

Congratulations to our A Girl’s Gift Cotillion Debutantes! All of our girls did such a phenomenal job. This inaugural class of debutantes had an average 3.6 GPA, they collectively volunteered over 300 hours of community service and they raised over $100,000!
In addition to all that they learned through their sessions on etiquette, branding, public speaking, “Adulting,” healthy relationships, and more, they also had the opportunity to bond with each other and their parents through rehearsals for the father-daughter dance and an exceptional Mother-Daughter tea.
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The top three award winners are:
Our 2nd Runner Up is Celeste Denny. She is a junior, pursuing an IB diploma. She’s a student-athlete who is passionate about softball. She has served 30 hours of community service. She plans to study law in college after her HS Graduation in 2022. Congratulations, Celeste!
Our 1st Runner Up is Cameryn Reaves. Cameryn is passionate about STEM. She has already earned certifications in Microsoft Software Development and Database Management and Adobe Graphic Designer and she is currently the Teen President for the Charlotte Chapter of Jack and Jill. Cameryn won our community service award with 64 hours of community service. Congratulations to Cameryn!
Our Cotillion Queen is Arí Jah Gibson. Arí tied for our academic award with a 4.0 unweighted GPA and joined three other debutantes in receiving the Attendance Award. She also served over 40 hours of community service and had the highest fundraising total of all debutantes. She is trilingual, speaking English, Spanish, and French. She plans to study international business and has aspirations to be a CEO and eventually move into politics. She founded a non-profit organization called I Stop Traffik which aims to increase awareness about human trafficking and intends to continue this fight. She currently serves as the Regional Teen President for Jack and Jill’s Mid-Atlantic Region. Congratulations to Arí!
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In addition to their earned scholarship awards, all 10 debutantes will receive a $500 Book Award as listed below:
BOOK AWARDS, (Sponsors’ names in parenthesis)
Madison Nicole Book Award - $500 (Hloye Cyprian) - Nyla Smith
Cyprian Book Award - $500 (Hloye Cyprian) - Nina Merritt
Tina Henry Book Award - $500 - Kiersten Hash
The Cynthia Alexander & Keith Douglas Book Award - $500
(Kevin and Stacey Douglas) - Lia Easton
The Phills Foundation Book Award - $500 (Kendall Phills) - Celeste Denny
The Nicholant Book Award - $500 (Sonja and Richard Nichols) - Zoey Siegel Lismon
The Julie and Keith Hall Book Award - $500 - Cameryn Reaves
The NBT Consulting Group Entrepreneur Award - $500 (Nicole Tate) - Arí Jah Gibson
The "Dream Big" Book Award - Leary Family Dentistry - $500 - Jayden Siegel Lismon
The Les and Kennette Maginley Book Award - $500 - Taylor Rawlings
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$250 Special Recognition Awards are also being awarded as follows: (Jimmy and Bailey Rayford):
Attendance: Jayden Siegel Lismon, Zoey Siegel Lismon, Arí Jah Gibson, and Taylor Rawlings
Academics: Kiersten Hash and Ari Gibson
Community Service - Cameryn Reaves
Miss Congeniality - Jayden Siegel-Lismon
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We are so proud of each and every debutante. They all have bright futures ahead of them. Please join me in congratulation our 10 debutantes! Parents of Debutantes, feel free to share! Dwight Gibson Alicia Hash Dwight Hash Traci Siegel Shelli Alexander-Hayes Almeater Alston Carla Jackson Reaves Alesha Daniels-Smith

04/03/2021

Today is the day! Six months of hard work and the AGG debutante Cotillion Scholarship ball is finally here! Join us in wishing our debutantes well! You’ll be able to see highlights from the event soon! They are here! They are ready!
Stay tuned!

01/11/2021

Four hours of rehearsal for our Debutante Cotillion Ball today and our girls finally got a 10 minute break while their fathers and father figures reviewed their dance. Guess what they all did? Screen time it is!

01/04/2021

It’s a New Year! It’s a New Day! The past was pretty great. The future will be SPECTACULAR!

12/23/2020

Our Debutantes are beginning their fundraising campaigns, and we are so proud of the work they are putting in! They all have their own ideas and it’s my job to help them be successful! Please support Kiersten’s Youth Cheer Camp for girls ages 5-10! It’s a perfect Christmas gift for those of you who are looking for a lively activity. Great job. Kiersten!

Spread some Holiday Cheer to your little Princess for Christmas and enroll her in this virtual two-day event! She will not only be engaged and active for 2 full hours but she will also learn about powerful women that are spreading their Black Girl Magic Around the Globe! Alicia Hash

10/06/2020

Excitement is in the air! For the past 10 years, A Girl's Gift, Inc. has helped hundreds of girls start their own businesses! Now, we're expanding to a new area!

I'm so excited to announce our first Debutante Cotillion Scholarship Program, which will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina!

Our mission is simple. We are laser-focused on providing leadership and life skills for high school 11th and 12th-grade females. We are equally dedicated to helping girls afford college.

If you know a Junior or Senior in high school, please tag her parents/guardians on this post! Join us for a virtual interest meeting on Sunday, October 11, 2020, at 3:00PM for more details.

Interest Meeting Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvcO6oqjkpG9OJVcJIor0waZkinnONJGU8

We also need volunteers! If you're interested in volunteering and can pass a background check with flying colors, please send us a message.

Special Thanks to all the Sponsors who have already signed up to support the Cotillion!

07/21/2020

Kid lemonade stand entrepreneurs, please check out this bailout from Country Time!

Country Time's "Littlest Bailout" program will give $100 checks to children who can't run lemonade stands this year.

05/21/2020

Promoting your business is key! Our girls learn this early on!

05/21/2020

Flashbacks from AGG over the last 10 years got us to thinking! And now, we’re getting ready for something big! A virtual reunion!! We’re looking for all past AGG girls! We want to know where you are and what you are doing! Raised your hand if you completed our program or send us a message. You leave us physically but you never leave our thoughts and hearts. Parents, girls, and friends - check in with us! Virtual reunion date coming soon!