People Magazine, October 16, 2000, by Nora McAniff
"You've Got Mentors!"
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For Gregory Hines, it was a high school English and drama 
teacher, Frank Mosier. "He turned my life around," says the 
actor/dancer. "I went from somebody who felt that because I 
could tap-dance life was going to be a cakewalk to someone 
who realized that education was very important too." 

Many successful people, whatever their field, have someone 
they credit with encouraging them, giving them direction, 
just being there for them through their teenage years. 
Unfortunately there are also thousands of kids who don't 
have anyone to fill that role. We at PEOPLE would like to 
help change that. We're launching, in partnership with 
America Online, the Digital Heroes Campaign, an effort to 
connect such kids with prominent people in online mentoring 
relationships. 

Set up with the help of the National Mentoring Partnership 
and Gateway Computer's nonprofit Waitt Family Foundation, 
our six-month pilot program pairs kids between 13 and 17 
with more than 120 role models, including Arnold 
Schwarzenegger, Camryn Manheim, Gen. Colin Powell, Judge 
Judy Sheindlin, Bryant Gumbel and track star Marion Jones. 
(The full list of Heroes is on these pages.) PowerUP, a 
nonprofit group that helps underprivileged youth acquire 
computer skills, recruited the kids, who will exchange e-
mail with their assigned heroes at least once each week to 
chat about their lives, their goals and their dreams. "It 
gives us the opportunity to really use the power of the 
Internet to change people's lives, to expand their 
horizons," says Bob Pittman, president and COO of America 
Online. 

Some may even build lifelong relationships, like the one 
Gregory Hines still treasures with Mr. Mosier. "I'm going to 
e-mail him and let him know I'm involved in mentoring so he 
can send me suggestions," he says. "He will mentor me 
mentoring." 

More important, we hope the campaign will inspire others to 
get involved in mentoring programs in their areas. 
Interested? Visit www.mentoring.org or call 888-432-6368 for 
information about an organization near you. Go ahead. Give 
them a call. You just might change a kid's life. 

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KEVYN AUCOIN makeup artist 

MARIO BATALI chef 

JEFF BEWKES chairman & CEO, HBO Inc. 

JUDY BLUME author 

GEOFFREY T. BOISI vice chairman, Chase Manhattan Corp. 

BERNIE BRILLSTEIN entertainment manager 

PIERCE BROSNAN actor 

LORENZO CARCATERRA author 

STEVE CASE chairman & CEO, AOL Inc. 

RAYMOND G. CHAMBERS chairman, Amelior Foundation 

JANE CLAYSON anchor, The Early Show 

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CYNTHIA COOPER basketball player 

ANN CURRY news anchor, Today 

CHRISTOPHER DARDEN attorney 

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RICK DEES radio personality 

JOHN PAUL DEJORIA CEO, Paul Mitchell Systems 

CRISTIAN DE LA FUENTE actor 

PAMELA DENNIS designer 

ELVIS DURAN radio personality 

KENNETH "BABYFACE" EDMONDS musician 

JOAN EMBERY conservation ambassador, San Diego Zoo 

EMME model/TV personality 

CHRIS ENDER senior vice president, CBS Entertainment 

MARY ENGELBREIT illustrator 

CHRIS EVERT tennis player 

FATIMA choreographer 

DEBORAH FEINGOLD photographer 

MICHAEL J. FOX actor 

BILL FRIST, M.D. U.S. senator from Tennessee 

ANN FUDGE executive vice president, Kraft Foods Inc. 

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SAVION GLOVER dancer/choreographer 

BRYANT GUMBEL anchor, The Early Show 

GREG GUMBEL sportscaster, CBS 

DICK GUTTMAN public relations executive 

HAROLD HAIRSTON Philadelphia fire commissioner 

SCOTT HAMILTON figure skater 

HARRY HAMLIN actor 

MIA HAMM soccer player 

JACK HANNA director emeritus, Columbus Zoo 

DONNA HANOVER actress/TV journalist 

MELISSA JOAN HART actress 

ANTHONY STEWART HEAD actor 

CARL HIAASEN author 

CATHERINE HICKS actress 

ANITA HILL law professor 

GRANT HILL basketball player 

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WARRINGTON HUDLIN filmmaker 

KATHY IRELAND model/designer 

DR. O. WAYNE ISOM cardiothoracic surgeon 

JUDITH JAMISON choreographer 

LANDON Y. JONES JR. editor emeritus, PEOPLE 

MARION JONES track and field athlete 

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE track and field athlete 

DARYN KAGAN news anchor, CNN 

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. law professor 

JEFFREY KRAMER TV/film producer 

LENNY KRAYZELBURG swimmer 

GEORGE LANGE photographer 

GERALD M. LEVIN chairman and CEO, Time Warner Inc. 

ANANDA LEWIS veejay, MTV 

REBECCA LOBO basketball player 

LISA LOEB musician 

KENNY LOGGINS musician 

CAMRYN MANHEIM actress 

MARLEE MATLIN actress 

NORA MCANIFF president, PEOPLE 

TERRY MCMILLAN author 

DANNY MEYER restaurateur 

MICHAEL MICHELE actress 

ANDY MILL skier 

BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL actor 

MATTHEW MODINE actor 

DINEH MOHAJER founder, Hard Candy cosmetics 

DEBORAH NORVILLE anchor, Inside Edition 

PAT O'BRIEN anchor, Access Hollywood 

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN anchor, Weekend Today 

DICK PARSONS president, Time Warner Inc. 

BOB PITTMAN president and COO, AOL Inc. 

GEN. COLIN L. POWELL former chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff 

AUDREY PUENTE TV meteorologist 

ANNA QUINDLEN author 

RICK REILLY columnist, Sports Illustrated 

LISA RINNA actress 

DAVID ROCKWELL architect/designer 

GEORGE RODRIGUE artist 

CARI ROSS public relations executive 

NANCI RYDER public relations executive 

EDUARDO SANCHEZ filmmaker 

CRISTINA SARALEGUI TV personality 

BARRY C. SCHECK attorney 

RICK SCHRODER actor 

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER actor 

JUDGE JUDY SHEINDLIN TV personality 

HENRY SIMMONS actor 

RUSSELL SIMMONS chairman, Rush Communications 

JANE SMITH science teacher 

KEELY SHAYE SMITH TV journalist 

WENDY SMITH public relations executive 

DR. NANCY SNYDERMAN medical correspondent, ABC News 

GENE SPERLING director, National Economic Council 

LINDA SRERE president, Y&R Advertising 

JOHN STARKS basketball player 

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS political analyst, ABC News 

MARTHA STEWART entrepreneur 

HANNAH STORM sportscaster, NBC 

DAVE THOMAS founder, Wendy's 

JOHN TIMONEY Philadelphia police commissioner 

MIKE UTLEY former football player 

JESSE VENTURA governor of Minnesota 

THOMAS VON ESSEN New York City fire commissioner 

TED WAITT founder, Gateway Inc. 

CAROL WALLACE managing editor, PEOPLE 

DR. ANDREW WEIL author 

CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN governor of New Jersey 

TERRIE WILLIAMS public relations executive 

STAN WINSTON special effects artist 

BILLE WOODRUFF music video director 


(Photos)


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