Actress Gail Bean awards scholarships to Georgia college students through her nonprofit Dream Above The Influence

Actress Gail Bean has established herself as a force on screen with shows like "Snowfall" and "P-Valley," and movies like "Unexpected," just to name a few.

Bean has also made it a mission to make a comparable, if not larger, impact behind-the-scenes by pouring into the community that raised her through her nonprofit organization Dream Above The Influence (DATI). 

The foundation's mission is to provide mentorship, resources, exposure and promotion of greater opportunities to positively impact the quality of life within historically disenfranchised communities.

The pilot city for the foundation is Atlanta, as Bean is from metro Atlanta. The foundation also provides programs to other major U.S. cities. Through DATI, Bean awards 22 "All Of My Love" scholarships to high school seniors in the metro Atlanta area.

"I'm a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; hence we have a saying, all of my love, my peace and happiness," Bean said. " So, that's 'All Of My Love scholarship.' The 22 because Delta was founded by 22 founders. The amount, $1,913, that each scholar gets is the year Delta was founded."

This is the fourth year for scholarships being given out to deserving students.

DATI Creative Director Tia Huff said more than 400 students applied through an intensive, multi-layered process. Transcripts, eight hours of community service, and active community involvement were some of the major requirements during the submission process, along with a video.

"The kids are so bright, and they almost make you feel like you're not doing enough in life," Huff said.

"To show them that we care about their journeys and that we're supporting them is just awesome. What makes me smile the most is community, and how we know the kids by their first name. They're all doing phenomenal, and to see tomorrow's kids doing the things that they're doing now, it's just very meaningful."

Zion Lester was one of 22 scholarship recipients this year. Bean said they were blown away with Lester's drive to serve her community at her age, along with her already knowing what she wanted to do long term. 

Lester co-founded a school-based community resource room initiative created through her father, Terence Lester's non-profit Love Beyond Walls. 

Zion's Closet focuses on building fully stocked resource centers inside Title I schools to support students and families experiencing poverty or housing insecurity. The nonprofit lists that the spaces are intentionally designed to provide essential items such as uniforms, shoes, school supplies, hygiene kits, food, and clothing, while also creating a sense of dignity, care, and belonging.

Lester said she wants to be a veterinarian. She just graduated from Fayette County High School and plans to attend Fort Valley State University in the fall.

"College, it's very expensive," Lester said. "Like it's really expensive. Just receiving that was really amazing. One out of 22, it's truly a blessing. It actually really inspires me to, when I start my veterinarian career, to give back the same way. Ever since I was younger, I've loved animals. I've had my fair share of animals, honestly, and I remember in the second grade coming to my parents, and I was like, I want to be a veterinarian. So, for future scholars, definitely don't give up with the scholarship process. Keep going, keep applying because you never know which one will respond."

Lester said the scholarship is a blessing to her and her family.

"Not only is she very sure of who she is as a woman, but she's going to step into this next journey in her life and we wanted to make sure we could be a service to that and be a resource," Bean said. "I feel you have to start at home first and let the people know this is where I come from and this is where I am now, so they can see the potential of their future. We want them to trust the process and we want them to know that Atlanta supports them."

For more on Gail Bean's nonprofit organization, DATI, along with upcoming initiatives and events through the 501c3, click here.