Dua Lipa, Camila Cabello, Lily Gladstone, and Billie Lourd present multiple scholarships at the annual Women in Entertainment gala.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00 I feel so lucky and so energized to be here with you guys this morning.
00:04 It just feels very, very special to be here for such a wonderful initiative.
00:10 Last summer, I was so fortunate to be part of a film
00:14 that not only received critical acclaim and shattered box office records,
00:18 it became a global phenomenon,
00:20 part of the cultural zeitgeist and turned the world pink,
00:25 while most importantly, empowering women and girls across the globe.
00:30 Greta Gerwig's Barbie.
00:32 And empowering girls is exactly what the Hollywood Reporter
00:39 Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program does.
00:42 Thirteen years ago, as most of you know,
00:45 the Hollywood Reporter and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles
00:49 joined forces to create this pioneering program.
00:52 Now, please join me in watching this brief film about it.
00:56 [CLICKING]
00:57 One, two, three.
01:01 We are Women in Entertainment!
01:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:06 In our industry, the personal and the professional are really interconnected.
01:11 The mission is simple.
01:14 You take a woman who's succeeded
01:16 and pair her with a girl who desperately wants to succeed,
01:20 and magic happens.
01:22 The Hollywood Reporter and Big Brothers, Big Sisters
01:25 have come together for many, many years
01:27 to provide young women an opportunity to be exposed
01:30 to a whole host of jobs that women do within the entertainment industry.
01:35 They watch women in powerful positions.
01:37 They watch women lead.
01:39 This is our time, and you made it happen, and you really did.
01:44 And all the girls that are the mentees, they're the future.
01:47 And I know the future is in very good hands when I look at them.
01:53 One of the great things about the mentorship program
01:56 is that the young girls, they're able to go to the offices of these women,
02:00 they're able to connect with them,
02:02 and really get a chance to talk to these women one-on-one.
02:05 As women, to have somebody who helps you figure out things,
02:10 little things, big things, college apps, whatever it is,
02:13 to be able to talk to somebody besides your parents or your peers,
02:16 I think is invaluable for these girls.
02:18 It just clicked.
02:21 I'm able to tell her things, I'm able to give her updates about my life,
02:24 the progress we've been making.
02:25 It's just sweet. Someone I can really talk to and I become close with.
02:29 Having a female role model and a female mentor for young women,
02:35 I think, is extremely important.
02:38 It impacted me far beyond my expectation.
02:43 This is the place where people from different cultures can work together.
02:48 Everyone that I met was so kind, so helpful to me,
02:53 that I never felt excluded.
02:55 This industry still isn't accessible to everyone.
03:00 And it's a program that recognizes that,
03:02 it recognizes that the playing field isn't level,
03:06 and it gives opportunity to people
03:08 who might not even know that these careers exist.
03:11 There are some jobs that I didn't even know existed.
03:15 I was like, "Wait, maybe I could probably do that."
03:18 This has opened my eyes to a whole bunch of ideas
03:21 that my mom even tells me,
03:22 "You're always changing what you want to do."
03:25 I'm like, "It's because I'm exploring new things."
03:28 You don't really know where life is going to lead you.
03:31 And life can be a really great adventure
03:34 when you just keep yourself open to the possibilities.
03:38 And you don't have to be one thing forever.
03:41 I think it's important to know it's possible to have these careers,
03:45 it's possible to work in the film and television industry.
03:48 But I also think it's important to have someone who looks like you
03:52 and maybe sometimes has a similar background to you
03:55 to let you know that it's possible.
03:58 Our backgrounds are very similar, you know.
04:02 Mexican parents, the way we grew up,
04:05 I feel like it just made that connection with her so much stronger
04:08 that in a way she really understands me.
04:11 The way that we're raised as Mexican females
04:14 with really strong mothers is very similar.
04:16 And my mom was the same way.
04:17 She really was focused on education,
04:19 but was always trying to push me to challenge myself.
04:22 And so I saw that similarity between her and how my mom is.
04:26 All the dreams that I have that I couldn't accomplish,
04:30 the fact that I know that she's going through all of those things
04:33 make me really happy and make me feel like I'm part of them.
04:37 Because I see how much she loves being there,
04:40 like how amazing Mitzi is,
04:44 because she learns from her a lot.
04:46 And she says, "Mom, I know what I want to do.
04:50 "I love the passion that Mitzi has for what she does."
04:54 It's just amazing, and I feel very proud.
04:58 We don't have access to those things.
05:00 And the fact that she's there experiencing that,
05:03 it's... I mean, it's beautiful.
05:06 I come from the South Side, South Side from L.A.
05:10 So where I come from, you can always just dream
05:13 about what the future can be like.
05:15 If I can give back to the girls in the situation that I was before,
05:19 I would love to help.
05:20 Or if any way I can provide my assistance to them,
05:23 I would love to, 100%.
05:25 You never have to lose sight of who you are
05:29 and really represent yourself, and you do such a beautiful job of it.
05:33 There's nothing like changing somebody's life forever.
05:38 And it only takes a small gesture.
05:41 It's a phone call.
05:42 It's a few minutes out of your time.
05:45 Yeah, I think we just have really good conversations outside of work.
05:49 You give the best advice.
05:51 When I first met you, I was like, "Wow."
05:53 I just felt this energy where I was like, "I want to be like her."
05:58 She's someone that I already can tell I'm gonna have such a strong bond with.
06:02 -They knew our personalities. -I swear.
06:04 It was like a compatibility match big time.
06:06 She knows this. She's not done with me after this program.
06:09 We will be lifelong friends.
06:11 And I can't wait to see where she goes.
06:13 Almost everybody in Hollywood has some desire to do good.
06:19 Now help them find the way.
06:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:25 [APPLAUSE]
06:29 [APPLAUSE]
06:31 [APPLAUSE]
06:33 [APPLAUSE]
06:37 [APPLAUSE]
06:41 [APPLAUSE]
06:45 [APPLAUSE]
06:49 [APPLAUSE]
06:53 [APPLAUSE]
06:59 [APPLAUSE]
07:01 [APPLAUSE]
07:05 [APPLAUSE]
07:09 [APPLAUSE]
07:13 [APPLAUSE]
07:26 Thank you, A&E Studios, for telling the story of these girls and this program.
07:30 Lifetime has generously supported the mentorship program since its inception.
07:35 And I am so excited to share that they're going to give away,
07:38 every girl graduating from the program this year,
07:42 a $10,000 scholarship to the school of their choice.
07:46 [APPLAUSE]
07:48 [APPLAUSE]
07:50 I'd also like to thank SAG-AFTRA, GERSH, and Best Buy
08:02 for their continued support of the program.
08:04 The Best Buy team and Corey Barry have launched a partnership
08:08 with the mentorship program that will give mentees access
08:11 to their Los Angeles community impact hub,
08:14 a network of 12 teen tech centers,
08:17 including locations in South LA, Koreatown, and East LA,
08:21 that provide access to cutting-edge technology and career exploration,
08:25 opportunities within the creative economy.
08:28 The teen tech centers are filled with teens who want to succeed.
08:32 And the mentorship program will be open to those motivated members annually,
08:37 creating a pipeline for future mentees
08:39 for the Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program.
08:42 Now I'd like to welcome the incoming class of 2024 mentees.
08:48 Hey, girls!
08:50 [APPLAUSE]
08:52 I have a little surprise for you to help you get started on your journey.
09:07 Casey Wasserman, through the Wasserman Foundation,
09:10 has created the Edie Wasserman Women in Hollywood Fund,
09:14 named after his grandmother,
09:15 to support tenacious and up-and-coming young business and creative women
09:20 exactly like you in their educational and career pursuits.
09:25 Thanks to Casey and the fund, every new girl in the mentorship program
09:28 will receive a brand-new Apple MacBook Air.
09:32 [APPLAUSE]
09:37 Would you girls in the class of 2024 raise your hands, please?
09:43 Let's see those hands!
09:45 [APPLAUSE]
09:47 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:50 [APPLAUSE]
09:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:55 [APPLAUSE]
09:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:24 Okay. Now it's scholarship time.
10:29 Thanks to our donors, this year we're presenting
10:32 more than $1 million in scholarships
10:35 to Chapman and Loyola Marymount Universities.
10:38 [APPLAUSE]
10:40 Thank you to Chapman's Stephen Galloway and LMU's Tim Snyder
10:48 and Joanne Moore for making a college education
10:52 more accessible to all.
10:55 The first scholarship we're giving today is to Loyola Marymount University,
10:59 and it is generously provided by the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation.
11:04 [APPLAUSE]
11:06 When I announce the name of the winner,
11:11 I'd like you to come up and join me on stage, please.
11:15 And the winner is...
11:18 Alejandra Mia Rodriguez.
11:20 [APPLAUSE]
11:22 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:24 John F. Kennedy High School.
11:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:29 [APPLAUSE]
11:31 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:48 [APPLAUSE]
11:50 Um, yeah.
12:01 I left it on my phone, but okay.
12:03 Um...
12:05 Okay.
12:07 So, my hands are really red 'cause I've been clapping a lot,
12:10 and they kind of hurt, but I'm really happy
12:14 seeing all of these women here
12:17 that are just so inspiring.
12:19 I can-- This is the only thing that I've seen in my dreams,
12:22 and I can't believe I'm standing here.
12:24 I want to thank everybody who supported me,
12:27 my mentor, she's amazing.
12:29 She's the best person ever.
12:31 I want to thank-- I want to thank my mom,
12:34 my mom for dropping everything for me,
12:36 being there for me, and just supporting me unconditionally
12:39 no matter what I do, everything that I choose,
12:42 and... oh, my God.
12:44 Yeah. I want to thank, um...
12:46 the-- everybody-- like, I don't--
12:48 oh, my God.
12:50 All the girls that are in the--
12:52 um, the-- my cohort,
12:54 which is the one that's graduating,
12:56 they are so amazing.
12:58 They are just-- there's a light in their eyes and everything
13:01 that just shines so much every time.
13:03 They are wonderful.
13:05 All of those girls are wonderful.
13:07 All of those girls deserve a spot here.
13:09 Everybody and everything-- it's just so amazing,
13:11 and I just want to thank everybody that I met this past year
13:14 because I've changed a lot,
13:16 I've grown a lot and everything,
13:18 and it doesn't matter if I just talk to them
13:20 for a couple minutes or if I know them like Lucia.
13:23 Like, they're all important to me,
13:25 every single one of them.
13:27 Um, and, yeah, I just--
13:29 thank you so much.
13:31 (laughs)
13:33 Oh, my God.
13:35 - I think you're taking such a big step.
13:38 - Oh, my God, I can?
13:40 (laughs)
13:42 (cheers and applause)
13:45 - ♪ Moonlight, you're my starlight ♪
13:48 ♪ I need you all night ♪
13:51 ♪ Come on, dance with me ♪
13:53 ♪ I'm levitating ♪
13:55 ♪ You, moonlight, you're my starlight ♪
13:58 ♪ I need you all night ♪
14:01 ♪ Come on, dance with me ♪
14:03 ♪ I'm levitating ♪
14:05 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:07 ♪ I'm still levitating, I'm heavily medicated ♪
14:09 ♪ Ironic, I gave 'em love and they ain't up here ♪
14:12 ♪ I'm levitating, I'm heavily medicated ♪
14:15 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:18 ♪ I'm still levitating, I'm heavily medicated ♪
14:21 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:24 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:27 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:30 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:33 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:36 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:39 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:42 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:45 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:48 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:51 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:54 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
14:57 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
15:00 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
15:03 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
15:06 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
15:09 ♪ I'm one of the greatest, ain't no debating on it ♪
15:12 I'm so inspired by all of you.
15:15 I'm so excited for you. I'm so proud of you.
15:18 Give them a round of applause, you guys.
15:20 (cheering and applause)
15:23 What a beautiful, beautiful event.
15:25 I'm so happy to be here.
15:27 Shout-out Chuck, Lori, and Trisha Cardoza.
15:29 Where are you guys at? Where are you guys at?
15:32 I know you're here. There you are.
15:34 I didn't know what you looked like, but now I do.
15:36 Thank you, Chuck. Thank you, Trisha,
15:38 for your generous spirit, for your unwavering support
15:41 for the past eight years, the Chuck, Lori Family Foundation
15:44 has provided scholarships
15:46 for graduates of our mentorship program.
15:48 And guess what?
15:50 They are going to give one more scholarship this year
15:53 for one girl to attend Chapman University!
15:57 (cheering and applause)
16:00 I've never done this before. This is very exciting for me.
16:03 I'd like the winner of the Chuck, Lori Family Foundation scholarship
16:06 to Chapman University to come on stage
16:09 when I say her name.
16:11 Everybody give me a little drumroll or something.
16:14 (laughter)
16:16 Linda Olivares-Hernandez!
16:18 Come up here, girl!
16:20 (cheering and applause)
16:22 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:24 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:26 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:28 ♪ What you waiting for? ♪
16:30 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:32 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:34 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:37 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:40 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:42 ♪ That's my girl ♪
16:44 ♪ If you've been played by every bull ♪
16:46 ♪ Just trying to show you off ♪
16:48 ♪ But he won't ♪
16:50 Okay, wow, I thought I wasn't going to be able to see anyone.
16:53 I am. Okay.
16:55 Um, I want to thank everybody at Big Brothers Big Sisters,
17:00 especially Alma, KB, Crystal Blue, Rebecca's son.
17:05 I also want to thank all my college counselors at school
17:09 because they really helped me a lot.
17:11 I want to say thank you to Jahara Tariq
17:14 and Ty Randolph at Heartbeat Productions
17:17 and especially Kaitlyn for coming with me today.
17:20 I remember in my sophomore year of high school,
17:25 I said to one of my college counselors
17:27 or I think an administrator who was walking around at lunch,
17:30 she said--or she asked me,
17:32 "What is your, like, academic goals for when you graduate?"
17:36 And I was like, "Well, obviously be a valedictorian."
17:39 I was not.
17:41 I'm close, though. I'm close.
17:43 And I also said, "Get a full-ride scholarship."
17:47 And she was like, "Well, that's kind of hard.
17:51 "I don't know. Well, maybe you can work hard
17:54 and then maybe you'll get it."
17:56 What about now? What about now?
17:59 [cheers and applause]
18:01 Thank you to my mom.
18:03 Um...
18:05 [laughs]
18:07 [cheers and applause]
18:09 Thank you to my mom.
18:11 I love her so much.
18:13 I'm going to show her this video right afterwards.
18:16 You did everything for me.
18:18 You did everything for my siblings,
18:20 for Rafa and Yeroldine.
18:22 I'm going to give you such a big hug when I get home.
18:25 Oh, my God.
18:27 Thank you, Chapman.
18:29 Thank you, Foundation.
18:31 Thank you for everything.
18:33 Bye.
18:35 [cheers and applause]
18:37 [music playing]
18:39 ♪ That's my girl ♪
18:41 ♪ That's my girl ♪
18:44 ♪ What you waiting for? ♪
18:46 ♪ That's my girl ♪
18:48 ♪ That's my girl ♪
18:51 ♪ That's my girl ♪
18:54 [music playing]
18:57 ♪ Yeah ♪
18:59 ♪ Not if you've been paid by every boo ♪
19:02 ♪ Just trying to show you off ♪
19:04 ♪ Thought he was the best you ever had ♪
19:07 ♪ Until he cut you off ♪
19:09 [laughter]
19:11 Please welcome New York Film Critics'
19:14 Inner Circle winner for Best Actress
19:16 and star of the Apple original film
19:19 "Killers of the Flower Moon,"
19:21 Lily Gladstone.
19:23 [cheers and applause]
19:25 [music playing]
19:28 ♪ That's my girl ♪
19:31 ♪ That's my girl ♪
19:34 [applause]
19:37 [speaking in Native language]
19:40 ♪
19:43 Hello, everybody.
19:45 My name is Lily Gladstone.
19:47 I am from the Blackfeet and Nez Perce Nations,
19:49 and it is such an honor to be here
19:51 to present the third annual scholarship
19:53 to Chapman University.
19:55 [cheers and applause]
19:58 To stand alongside all of these
20:00 incredible, beautiful--
20:02 my God, you girls are gorgeous,
20:04 every single one of you.
20:06 These extraordinary mentees today.
20:08 Even though I'm not from the same communities
20:10 as all of you,
20:12 I really feel a connection to you.
20:14 I was a scholarship girl,
20:16 and I was--
20:18 the scholarship that got me through college
20:20 was the first--
20:22 I was the first Native girl to get it.
20:24 I grew up on--
20:26 [cheers and applause]
20:29 I grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation
20:33 in rural, remote Montana.
20:35 I--you know, our communities
20:37 went through a long legacy
20:39 of assimilation.
20:41 People told us how we had to be,
20:43 how we had to speak.
20:45 I moved away from home to the big city
20:47 when I was in middle school,
20:49 and so when I got there,
20:51 kind of like when I got to university,
20:53 I was a highly racial Native person
20:55 in a world that largely believes
20:57 Native people no longer exist,
20:59 that still believes that we all look,
21:01 sound, behave like the John Ford westerns
21:03 told everybody we did.
21:05 I know what it feels like
21:07 not to be seen.
21:09 I--I know what it feels like
21:11 also to be held,
21:13 raised, loved, cherished,
21:15 and encouraged by my community,
21:17 and that's just advice for me to you.
21:19 That is what is gonna carry you through.
21:21 When you're in the room,
21:23 when you get there,
21:25 when you get to these universities,
21:27 when you move into the next phase
21:29 of whatever it is you choose to do,
21:31 don't compromise, don't change who you are.
21:33 Everything about who you are...
21:35 [applause]
21:37 Everything about who you are
21:43 is needed, is necessary.
21:45 We know who we are as human beings
21:47 from the stories that we share,
21:49 so don't change your story for anybody.
21:51 Um...
21:53 I know that
21:55 this world we're walking into
21:57 often doesn't include
21:59 or encourage us being exactly
22:01 who we are,
22:03 but you're seen.
22:05 I--I see myself in you,
22:07 and, uh, we--we are all extraordinary.
22:09 Um, I would like to thank
22:11 your mentors for seeing
22:13 how extraordinary you are as well.
22:15 [applause]
22:17 Thank you.
22:19 [applause]
22:21 Human beings from every corner
22:27 of this earth crave connection
22:29 with each other.
22:31 That connection oftentimes
22:33 comes from sharing
22:35 our most authentic voice,
22:37 which is often our artistic voice,
22:39 which is often our stories
22:41 and our storytelling.
22:43 It's essential that all of our perspectives
22:45 are heard, and I'm so proud
22:47 to be a part of a film
22:49 like "Killers of the Flower Moon."
22:51 [cheers and applause]
22:53 It was not only a chance
23:01 to work with legends
23:03 in this business and this industry
23:05 and storytelling of Hollywood,
23:07 um, but to be with--
23:09 alongside so many other indigenous
23:11 actors, artisans,
23:13 craftspeople, leaders,
23:15 linguists, knowledge keepers,
23:17 background actors,
23:19 one of whom went around set
23:21 and asked every Native person there
23:23 their tribal affiliation,
23:25 and it turns out there were over
23:27 200 tribal nations represented
23:29 in the making of this film.
23:31 [cheers and applause]
23:33 All of us being there together
23:39 worked the best we could
23:41 to ensure that our collective
23:43 presence would uplift
23:45 this powerful story,
23:47 which ultimately belongs
23:49 to the Osage Nation.
23:51 And then with our tremendous director,
23:53 who the community,
23:55 who, uh, Osage country now calls
23:57 "Uncle Marty,"
23:59 we all together
24:01 brought to the screen this story
24:03 in the most accurate,
24:05 collaborative way possible,
24:07 and it really is a revolutionary moment
24:09 because the--
24:11 all the indigenous folks
24:13 that we bring together,
24:15 we find strength in each other,
24:17 we uplift each other,
24:19 and we empower each other
24:21 to speak from who we are,
24:23 who exactly--
24:25 exactly who we are.
24:27 And I think the critics
24:29 are weighing in that this story
24:31 is exceptional and absolutely
24:33 in no small part to all of us
24:35 being true to how we were raised,
24:37 where we're from,
24:39 our communities,
24:41 and our culture.
24:43 So before I announce
24:45 the winner of the 2023 scholarship,
24:47 which has been provided
24:49 by the National Association
24:51 of Theater Owners California, Nevada,
24:53 I would like to thank
24:55 retired CEO Milt Moritz
24:57 for establishing this relationship
24:59 with The Hollywood Reporter...
25:01 (applause)
25:03 (chuckles)
25:05 ...Women in Entertainment
25:07 Mentorship Program,
25:09 Chapman University.
25:11 (applause)
25:13 Thank you also to new CEO
25:17 Todd Bradenburg
25:19 and board member Lyndon Golan
25:21 for carrying the torch
25:23 and continuing your generous support.
25:25 (applause)
25:27 Now, please congratulate
25:29 our 2023 Chapman University
25:31 scholarship winner,
25:33 Marilyn Garcia Hernandez.
25:35 (applause)
25:37 ♪
25:39 ♪
25:41 ♪
25:43 ♪
25:45 ♪
25:47 ♪
25:49 ♪
25:51 ♪
25:53 ♪
25:55 ♪
25:57 ♪
25:59 ♪
26:01 ♪
26:03 ♪
26:05 ♪
26:07 ♪
26:09 ♪
26:11 ♪
26:13 ♪
26:15 ♪
26:17 ♪
26:19 ♪
26:21 ♪
26:23 ♪
26:25 ♪
26:27 ♪
26:29 ♪
26:31 ♪
26:33 ♪
26:35 ♪
26:37 ♪
26:39 ♪
26:41 ♪
26:43 ♪
26:45 ♪
26:47 ♪
26:49 ♪
26:51 ♪
26:53 ♪
26:55 ♪
26:57 ♪
26:59 ♪
27:01 ♪
27:03 ♪
27:05 ♪
27:07 ♪
27:09 ♪
27:11 ♪
27:13 ♪
27:15 ♪
27:17 ♪
27:19 ♪
27:21 ♪
27:23 ♪
27:25 ♪
27:27 ♪
27:29 ♪
27:31 ♪
27:33 ♪
27:35 ♪
27:37 ♪
27:39 ♪
27:41 ♪
27:43 ♪
27:45 ♪
27:47 ♪
27:49 ♪
27:51 ♪
27:53 ♪
27:55 ♪
27:57 ♪
27:59 I gotta say, this might be the coolest thing I've ever done.
28:04 This event is so inspirational and incredible,
28:09 and I feel so lucky to be here.
28:11 Um, all right.
28:14 I'm giving a scholarship
28:17 in my mother Carrie Fisher's name today.
28:20 (applause)
28:22 Which she would love, and she would do a way better speech
28:24 than I'm gonna do, so sorry, Mom.
28:26 Um...
28:28 Most of you probably know Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia,
28:32 or the lady with the space buns
28:34 who killed that worm in good old Star Wars.
28:37 But the Carrie Fisher I knew was not a worm killer.
28:41 She was a bookworm.
28:43 She had stacks of books next to her bed at all times
28:46 and never left home without a book or three in her purse.
28:50 Usually three.
28:52 It was always really weirdly heavy.
28:54 And she even wrote six books of her own.
28:57 Her secret dream was to be a professor at Oxford.
29:01 And since that wasn't a realistic option--
29:03 she didn't even graduate high school--
29:05 she ended up, like, going to Vegas and tap dancing.
29:08 Don't judge her.
29:10 So since that wasn't possible,
29:12 she once told my dad she wanted to have a professor
29:15 follow her around everywhere she went.
29:17 You know, and since that wasn't a realistic option,
29:20 she tried to go to college with me.
29:23 And that definitely wasn't a realistic option.
29:27 No 18-year-old wants their mom
29:29 shacking up in their dorm with them,
29:32 even if they're the worm-killing lady
29:34 from good old Star Wars.
29:36 Anyway, the point is,
29:38 my mom always wished she had more of an education.
29:41 So when my dad and I were talking about
29:44 how she would want us to carry--
29:46 no pun intended, sorry I had to--
29:48 on her legacy education,
29:50 she said, "I'm not going to do it."
29:52 Education was at the top of the list.
29:55 My dad came to this event four years ago
29:57 and gave the first Carrie Fisher scholarship
30:00 to an incredible young woman named Natalie Lopez.
30:03 I think she's here.
30:05 Very exciting.
30:07 And she is now-- hi!
30:10 She is now a senior at LMU
30:13 with a major in film production
30:15 and minors in both business administration
30:18 and Chicano studies.
30:20 (cheers and applause)
30:22 I have more, I have more!
30:24 She is making and starring in her own short films,
30:27 working at a tech startup,
30:29 and she's even the CMO of a skin care startup?
30:32 Like, what?
30:34 As the kids say, she is absolutely killing it.
30:37 (laughter)
30:39 I want to grow up to be her.
30:41 This year we are lucky enough
30:43 to be giving out another Carrie Fisher scholarship
30:45 to another amazing young woman.
30:47 She is a senior at Birmingham High School
30:49 and will be entering Chapman's film and television production program
30:52 next fall.
30:54 She's incredibly independent and super hardworking,
30:57 and I am so excited to see what she will do next.
31:00 Drumroll, I think she might already know
31:03 'cause I kind of gave some stuff away.
31:05 Come on up, Samantha Bouguerin!
31:08 (cheers and applause)
31:10 ♪ Heart is a gun, heart is a gun ♪
31:12 ♪ Heart is the breeze in my hair on the weekends ♪
31:15 ♪ Heart is a relaxing thought ♪
31:17 ♪ Aren't you envious that for you it's not? ♪
31:20 ♪ Sweet like honey, karma is a cat ♪
31:23 ♪ Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me ♪
31:25 ♪ Flossing like a Vegas acrobat ♪
31:28 ♪ Me and karma vibe like that ♪
31:30 ♪ Ask me what I learned from all those years ♪
31:33 ♪ I've been running from all those years ♪
31:36 ♪ And I'm missing everything ♪
31:38 Oh, my God.
31:40 Okay, guys.
31:42 Oh, my God, I'm so sorry.
31:44 Thank you so much to Women into Teen Program.
31:46 I don't know.
31:48 I just--I always saw college as something
31:51 that was not too much of a possibility
31:54 because of, you know, money and stuff,
31:57 but thank you to, like, everyone.
32:01 Like, everyone I've met, everyone, like,
32:03 they really just want you to succeed,
32:05 and that's something I didn't think it was possible.
32:08 I wanted to do something in entertainment,
32:11 but I never--I was like, "That's impossible.
32:14 Come on, where do I--where I grew up?"
32:17 Like, it just wasn't possible,
32:19 but thank you for my mom,
32:21 who always pushed me and believed in me,
32:23 and even if my family didn't really support me,
32:27 and thank you to everyone here.
32:30 Thank you.
32:32 Thank you so much.
32:34 [BLANK_AUDIO]