LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Shaune Johnson upon the occasion of
receiving the Maybelline New York Beauty of Education Award

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to bring just recogni-
tion to those individuals from the State of New York who epitomize the
essence of community service and who, through their actions, have immea-
surably improved the lives of others; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Shaune Johnson upon the occasion of receiving the Maybelline New York
Beauty of Education Award; and
WHEREAS, One of 10 national recipients to receive this most presti-
gious commendation, Shaune Johnson was recognized by Maybelline for her
unwavering commitment to working with young women and for not only
giving them the skills but the confidence necessary to open the doors to
their greatest dreams; and
WHEREAS, Shaune Johnson, of Elmont, New York, is the founder of Girl-
friends Talk, Inc., a non-profit organization that encourages and
enables girls ages 10 through 17 to achieve their goals; the highly
successful program consists of mentoring workshops held at the Percy
Jackson Memorial Youth Center in Hempstead, New York; it also includes a
book club called Girlfriend Reading, which meets in the Barnes & Nobles
in Garden City, New York; and
WHEREAS, Girlfriends Talk, Inc. was founded in 2005, and grew out of
another non-profit organization that Shaune Johnson started called Tap
Dancing Only; this program, which is celebrating its seventh year,
reaches out to at-risk girls through dance; Shaune, an avid dancer, is a
conductor-training specialist by day for the Long Island Rail Road;
prior to opening her own program she instructed dance part-time for
eight years at another local school; and
WHEREAS, A woman of singular distinction, Shaune Johnson realized that
there was a real need for a group where young women could come together
to discuss and learn about a variety of topics; her workshops include
teaching the young girls how to prepare a portfolio, write a resume, act
like young ladies and become productive members of the community; and
WHEREAS, The program is so successful, that many of the girls partic-
ipants come back to serve the organization as mentors; currently, the
group consists of 24 members who come from Brooklyn, Queens, Freeport,
Hempstead, Uniondale and Elmont; the group meets once a week during the
school year and three times a week in the summer; and
WHEREAS, The mentoring workshops and the book club are free to the
girls, and as part of Shaune Johnson's award from Maybelline, she will
receive a grant for her organization enabling her to continue to develop
and provide further services to the girls; in addition, Girlfriends
Talk, Inc., will be showcased in a national ad in PEOPLE magazine; and
WHEREAS, The future success of our State and Nation is dependent upon
individuals such as Shaune Johnson, who has dedicated her life to
nurturing our most precious resource, our youth; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Shaune Johnson upon the occasion of receiving the Maybelline New
York Beauty of Education Award; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Shaune Johnson.