Community Partner Spotlight: Sisters Circle
June 24, 2026
Heather Harvison knows great mentoring when she sees it. She grew up watching her mother help to lead an alliance of faith communities in Greater Homewood that partnered with Baltimore City Public Schools. In 1999, her mother introduced her to Principal Irma Johnson at Dallas F. Nicholas Elementary School, who encouraged Harvison to volunteer at the school as a mentor to young girls.
Six months into mentoring 5th grade girls, Harvison had found her calling. In 2000, she founded the nonprofit Sisters Circle, a nationally recognized mentoring program that matches middle school girls with one-to-one mentors. “We are a consistent presence in that young girl’s life through high school,” Harvison explains. “We establish a trusting relationship with a mentor that helps them envision and create a postsecondary plan.”
She estimates that a few hundred girls have gone through the program, with a new cohort of 20-25 mentees and women mentors joining each year. Mentor and mentee pairings typically stay together for five years. Sisters Circle offers free programming throughout the school year with monthly events and over the summer like science-based enrichment programs at a college.
Currently, there are about 100 mentors who receive coaching and resources to provide intentional support for their mentee. Each August, mentors meet with Sisters Circle staff for an annual grade level meeting to talk about age-appropriate goals for their mentees.
The Sisters Circle alumni network also continues to serve the mentees into college and beyond by connecting them to people in career fields of interest and sending college care packages.
Each mentor pairing is as unique as each girl’s dream, but the mission is the same for every mentee in Sisters Circle. “Our goal is to move the needle for our young women, to help them find their voice and shape their future through access, awareness, and advocacy,” says Harvison.
Girls who attend or have attended Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) schools benefit from the program. In fact, Hampstead Hill Academy has the highest number of current mentees in the program. Participants in 7th and 8th grade may be nominated by a principal, counselor, administrator, or parents may apply directly on the website.
City Springs’ Alumnae and Sisters Circle Mentees
June 2026 marked a significant milestone for three alumnae of City Springs Elementary/Middle School and longtime Sisters Circle mentees as they graduated from high school. To celebrate their achievements, we spoke with the graduates and their mentors about their journeys, the relationships they built, and the impact Sisters Circle has had on their lives.
Semiya Buckner ’26
- Valedictorian, Galileo High School, Virginia; first attended Baltimore City College before moving to Virginia in 9th grade
- Attending William & Mary on a full scholarship with plans to double major in psychology and sociology while also taking some law courses.
- Career plan: Forensic psychologist
Semiya: “The most rewarding aspect of my mentorship was having a person by me that truly listens and advocates for my success. I was able to build an amazing relationship with an amazing lady who I would have not crossed paths with otherwise.
This experience prepared me for college and life by teaching me that meeting new people can lead to meaningful relationships, and that I should embrace, rather than fear, the unknown. City Springs prepared me by promoting dedication to our schoolwork and our futures. Prior to applying to high school, they had us lay out what college we wanted to go to and what our intended major would be. Though my major and college went in a completely different direction, that moment taught me to always operate with the future in mind.”
Mentor Wendy T. Wolock: “Although Semiya moved to southern Virginia after freshman year of high school, we kept in touch and still maintain a friendship. Watching Semiya grow has been a joy. She has become a self confident, proud human with huge goals and the tools to achieve them.”
NOTE: When Semiya moved to Virginia, Wendy and Sisters Circle continued to support her by providing mentoring and high-quality, one-to-one post-secondary advising, resulting in her applying to highly selective colleges and choosing William & Mary.
Ajaee Beasley-El ‘26
- Graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
- Attending Towson University on a full scholarship with plans on studying secondary education and history
- Career plans: Teaching and/or going to law school.
Ajaee: “Having someone who filled in the gaps of my life that my immediate family could not fill has been the most rewarding aspect of the program. [Through mentorship], I believe I’ve learned to be more direct and aware of the long-term effects of my actions and choices. Without City Springs, I would not have been part of Sisters Circle.”
Mentor Danielle Guido: “My favorite aspect [has been] growing close with Ajaee and having the opportunity to be part of her experiencing new things (food, activities, adventures) and starting new chapters of her life (high school, college). The most rewarding part has been becoming a confidant and hearing her thoughts and opinions on various subjects as she learns and broadens her perspective.”
E’Ziyah Benefield ‘26
- Graduated from Western High School
- Attending Loyola University Maryland on a full scholarship
Mentor Joan Wisner-Carlson: “I remember picking her up in 2020 at the former Perkins Homes in East Baltimore [now rebuilt as Perkins Square] and driving to my Mt. Washington home where we played badminton, had a picnic. and talked in the backyard. She told me that her superpower was ‘making friends,’ and right off I was taken by her friendly, outgoing nature. and curiosity about people and ideas. We have never had difficulty finding subjects to discuss whether it be her classes and teachers at City Springs or Western High School, the Black Lives Matter movement, or her favorite TV shows. Given our different backgrounds, I was surprised to find out that we agreed more than we disagreed on many topics!
As the mother of three young adult men, I have enjoyed not just good conversation with another girl, but also the opportunity to share nature walks, a play at the Kennedy Center, poetry slams at the Visionary Arts Museum, my favorite art museums, and participate in many fun Sisters Circle activities together.
It has been extremely rewarding over the last six years to witness E’Ziyah blossom: her embrace of college as a first-generation student, and her growing vision for her young life and future career as a psychologist.”
Congratulations, Semiya, Ajaee, and E’Ziyah! Thank you, Sisters Circle mentors!
