First lady to host mentoring event

WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- U.S. first lady Michelle Obama will host mentoring events with renowned women to celebrate Women's History Month at the White House, her office said Monday.

More than 20 women in a number of fields will serve as mentors and share their experiences with students in Washington, D.C.-area schools, showcasing the important role mentoring can play in a young person's life, Obama's office said in a release.

The events are Wednesday, when Obama will visit Ballou High School to meet with a group of students, while other guest mentors visit other local schools. In the evening, Obama and the mentors will reconvene at the White House for a dinner and program with 120 students from local schools and additional mentors from within and outside government, her office said.

Guest mentors include:

-- Miri Ben-Ari, Grammy award-winning violinist, recording artist and philanthropist.

-- General Dana Born, dean of faculty, U.S. Air Force Academy.

-- Ambassador Nancy Brinker, founder and chief executive officer of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, and former U.S. chief of protocol for President George W. Bush.

-- Geena Davis, Oscar award-winning actress, producer, writer, philanthropist, and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

-- Dominique Dawes, Olympic gold medalist, motivational speaker, gymnastics coach, media analyst, and co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

-- Louise Erdrich, Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

-- Judith Jamison, award-winning dancer, choreographer, author and artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

-- Rashida Jones, actress, screenwriter, board member to the International Peace Games and active philanthropist.

-- Michelle Kwan, world renowned figure skater, public diplomacy ambassador, and member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

-- Nina Lederman, senior vice president of series programming and development for Lifetime networks.

-- Ledisi, Grammy-nominated recording artist, songwriter, and record producer.

-- Lisa Leslie, Olympic gold medalist and former WNBA professional basketball player.

-- Vanessa Minnillo, actress, model, television host, and former Miss Teen USA.

-- Ellen Ochoa, astronaut, engineer, and deputy director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.

-- Abbe Raven, president and CEO of A&E networks.

-- Tracee Ellis Ross, award-winning actress, producer, model and philanthropist.

-- Anna Deavere Smith, award-winning playwright, actress and performance studies professor at New York University.

-- Hilary Swank, two-time Academy Award-winning actress.

-- Kerry Washington, award winning-actress, philanthropist and member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

-- Ali Wentworth, comedienne, actress, correspondent and author.

-- Sherrie Westin, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Sesame Workshop.

-- Alfre Woodard, award-winning film, stage and television actress, and founder of Artists for a New South Africa.