She may have been a bit leery when she first landed
in Denver as a high school student, but LaRae
Scott-Jennings soon adapted and became a model
for metro area young women.
Twenty-eight year old Scott-Jennings exudes the character
of a seasoned professional who has learned from her academic
studies as well as her interactions and observations.
She passes on this knowledge and wisdom to the young
women she meets through girls inc., the organization officially
known as Girls Incorporated of Metro Denver.
Scott-Jennings is charged with developing, facilitating
and evaluating programs tailored to meet the needs of youth
ages 6-18 in and around the Denver metro area. She also provides
direct services and is enthusiastic about mentoring at
the Girls Incorporated of Metro Denver's (GIMD) West Side
Teen Center site and at numerous partner sites.
"I was born in Gary, Indiana, and moved here with my
mother in 1996 as Mom was getting back into the work force.
She hadn't worked for 16 years," Scott-Jennings recalls. The
family had relatives in Denver, but being from Indiana, she
wasn't aware of the diversity she would encounter. She had
moved during her sophomore year of high school, and that
was hard on her. "I was used to the same kind of folks. I was
grateful to be here, but mad at the same time," she says. "I'd
never had a friend who wasn't black in race and in mind-set.
We'd always lived in Gary.
"Denver was so different; it was a melting pot of culture.
It was a culture shock to me, but I welcomed it; it was a
challenge," she now says. Challenge is a welcome visitor
for Scott-Jennings, who says she likes being pushed to
achieve good results. After high school she enrolled in the
armed forces. "I had been recruited, but my teachers and
parents expected me to go to college. My mom had never
asked me not to do something, but she asked me if I
shouldn't consider going to school. I enjoyed the miniature
boot camp and came back saying it was a piece of cake. But
I'd never seen her (Mom) as concerned as she was at that
moment. I had a shipment day set up, but then I contacted
the recruiter and called it off," Scott-Jennings says. Later,
she ran into a counselor who asked what she was doing.
She responded that she hadn't done anything to prepare
for college.
The next thing she knew, she was at Metropolitan State
College, a place where she would ultimately become very
active. She became involved in the Black Student Union
and student government. Serving as vice president of
diversity for Metro State College's student government
assembly, she became an integral leader in Metro’s diversity
within the community. She earned a bachelor's degree
with a major in psychology and a minor in African-
American studies.
"I was heavily involved with the Black Student Union,” she
says. “It got to be overwhelming because I wanted to do
everything in extracurricular activities. I had to take a step
back, left school and took a job. I worked full time for a while
and had two jobs. I said that when I went back to school, I'd
focus on school."
Along the way, Scott-Jennings became involved in a
peer mentorship program known as LINKS. "Being able to
talk to people in class and in passing, you try not to pass up
the moment where you can tell someone about your experiences.
It was informal, but I also did some formal role
modeling. It was interesting to go back to school. I had left
school at 21 and went back at 24, graduating at the age of
26,” she says.
She has been with girls inc. since January 2006. She
learned about the position through one of the professors at
Metro. Although girls inc. didn't have any job openings at
the time, she happened to drive by their building one day,
and in a fluke, visited their Web site and applied for a position.
She was called for an interview. She admits to being
nervous, "but it was almost like talking with a friend. I
ended up getting the position with the East Side girls and
worked 25 hours a week,” she says.
Scott-Jennings says she felt as though she was role
modeling for all girls in America. The girls were from Africa
and didn't speak much English. She explains, “I told my
husband I wasn't connecting with these girls on a level they
needed. Once I realized I needed to let down from correcting
them, it helped. There was an implication that I knew
what they should think, and then I started to learn that I didn't
necessarily know what they should think. My character
has developed tremendously because of the work with
these girls and the girls I am working with now. They give
me something, and I give them something. They give me
the power to be honest. When there was a possibility I
wouldn't be working with them, I said I needed to be with
these girls."
Scott-Jennings strongly believes that her calling is to work
with girls. Her job as a youth program coordinator was being
phased out, so she decided to try for another job within the
organization. The position of community educator opened
up, and she has been in it for almost two years. Today, she
interacts more with girls. The interaction is fun and unpredictable,
too, as the girls ask questions ranging from "How
did you meet your husband?" to "When do you think you
should lose your virginity?"
On the question of sex, girls inc. offers an Abstinence Plus
program, which takes place at Morey Middle School. Scott-
Jennings comments, "I got real comfortable real quick. One
girl said I was the bravest woman she knows to be able to sit
there and answer these questions. Girls inc. has given me the
opportunity to look at all facets of development. It is funny
because we come back and say to each other, 'You won't
believe what I had to answer today.' The girls watch us, they
scrutinize us. We are constantly modeling."
Scott-Jennings explains that the counselors at girls inc.
are not social workers. They are available to show girls
their options: "If you have a first-generation
girl or a girl who represents
her family, you can show behavior she
can copy. It's very rewarding to see a
student get it. It's almost like ice
cream on a hot day."
Honored for her work, Scott-
Jennings has represented Girls
Incorporated of Metro Denver at the
Girls Inc. National Training of Trainers
Conference, which focuses on preparing
educators to facilitate curricula for
staff and outside partners. She has
developed instructional materials for Mi
Avenida/My Avenue, a college prep program
to align with College in Colorado
core standards as well as district curricula.
She was chosen to participate in
the highly selective 2008 class of
Chamber Connect, a leadership program
developed by the Colorado Black
Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, she serves as a member of
the Denver Youth Development Initiative
(DYDI) at East and Montbello High
Schools' Pre-Collegiate Collaborative.
Both groups are focused on giving college
prep services, resources and opportunities
to high school students at East
and Montbello.
Married to Michael Jennings, Scott-
Jennings says her mate is very supportive
and a good example of someone
she wants to model. He keeps her
grounded, and his character speaks
volumes about him. Michael works for
a health-based program for college
students. In addition, he plays football
in a semi-pro league. They enjoy
watching football together. Together,
they have given empowerment workshops
for girls.
She emphasizes, "We need to focus
on strengths of kids. Most people want
to be recognized. It's as simple as saying
something like ‘you're really funny.’
We're always looking for the next doctor
or next scientist. But we should support
all kids."
Her support for youth is unwavering.
The girls she comes in contact with are
truly fortunate to have LaRae Scott-
Jennings, who lives her life as an inspiration
to young girls everywhere.
