G.L.O.W. 

Leaders 

& 

Mentors

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Michelle Gladney, Founder/CEO

Michelle is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Girls Leading Our World (G.L.O.W.).  A program that focuses on mentoring young girls in her community. Michelle has earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

 

Michelle was born and raised in Sacramento, California in the Del Paso Heights Community by her single mother of four children.  Michelle’s mother always encouraged her to follow her dreams and be the best at whatever she decided to do.  Michelle is also the proud mother of four beautiful children:  one son, three daughters, and four grandchildren.  Michelle takes pride that she raised her children to be respectful and productive members of their communities. 

 

As a proactive parent, Michelle has always taken steps to ensure that her children had the tools they needed to be successful.  Michelle, spoke regularly to them about the importance of either planning for a college education or developing a trade. Michelle recognized that, as a parent, it was important that she supported her children’s decisions and dreams, as well as allow them to make mistakes along the way.

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Michelle began her community involvement with the youth in 1996 as a team manager for her daughter’s basketball league at the North Highlands Community Center.  Michelle eventually introduced her children to other sports, which added to her list of community endeavors.  It was very important for Michelle to be a part of her children’s lives and to ensure that they were active in sports and maintained good grades to allow them the opportunity to pursue a college education.

 

In addition to founding G.L.O.W, Michelle has worked for the State of California for the past 20 years. Michelle is also the Program Director for Grant Youth Sports, and a member of Sister to Sister, which are all mentoring programs located in the richly diverse area of Del Paso Heights.  Michelle has been given the rare opportunity to encourage girls to reach for their dreams.  She believes providing children access to sports helps bridge the gap between the community, school, and parents; while increasing self-esteem, empowering our youth, and decreasing the need for the gang families that often seek out that child who is lacking parental or positive community support.   

 

Michelle has also fundraised and worked with other local organizations to secure scholarships for graduating seniors at Grant High School which is located in her Del Paso Heights Community. 

 

Mentoring and volunteering have been the foundation of Michelle’s professional and personal life.  Although her passion for being a change agent in her community was more important to her than the attainment of personal goals, by receiving her college education she recognized that this gave her the opportunity to demonstrate, to the young girls that she mentors, that hard work, focus, sacrifice and planning are the keys to making dreams possible.