d-mars.com Top 30 Influential Women of Houston
Barbara Harris Curtis Founder and President, RARE Pearls, Inc.
to equip and empower under-served girls to navigate and overcome the hardships, negative media images and other risk factors impacting their futures. With her visionary leadership, RARE Pearls provides life skills and college readiness training, an annual girls’ conference, college scholarships and a first-year college mentoring program. Curtis recognizes the importance of positive role models. Her mother, grandmother, teachers and others invested immeasurably in her future, and she is committed to doing likewise for other young women and girls. Though young in its existence as an organization, Curtis’ visionary leadership has had a tremendous impact on RARE Pearls, Inc. To date, through its 2-year mentoring program, the organization has graduated two classes, awarded over $60,000 in college scholarships, and provided laptop computers, luggage and dorm room necessities to each of the program graduates. The tangible success of the program was recently evidenced in the poised and heart-rendering speech of a 2018 graduate who stated, “My words used to be ‘I can’t…I don’t…and I won’t’, but today, thanks to RARE Pearls, my words are ‘I CAN…I DO…and I WILL!”
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Curtis has received numerous awards and recognitions for her service to the Houston community and beyond, including the Houston Independent School District, inaugural “Mayor’s History Makers Award” Windsor Village United Methodist Church presented by Mayor Sylvester Turner and and J.P. Morgan Chase. She currently serves Comcast. in full-time ministry at Lakewood Church in Though her personal and professional Houston, Texas. accomplishments are many, nothing drives Deeply disturbed by evidence of a steady Curtis more than her desire to live out decline in the confidence, self-respect, God’s purpose and plan for her life.
arbara H. Curtis is passionately committed to equipping and inspiring individuals to experience purpose and victory in every area of their lives. This commitment and the belief that people are “blessed to be a blessing” are the motivation behind her mission to serve. values and positive aspirations of young Curtis’ diverse gifts and roles include girls, Curtis founded RARE Pearls, Inc. in minister, author, motivational speaker, 2014. The vision for the RARE Pearls high mentor and community leader. Her school mentoring program personifies the professional background includes over 30 charge of the late Dr. Maya Angelou, “When years in education, leadership development, you learn, teach; when you get, give.” teambuilding and public relations with Through RARE Pearls, Curtis is committed corporations and organizations including to working with other dedicated women 66
Top 30 Influential Women of Houston 2018
Barbara Harris Curtis Founder and President RARE Pearls, Inc. 1302 Waugh Dr. Houston, TX 77019 713-256-2586 www.rarepearls.org barbara@rarepearls.org
