Frank Ski, Monica among celebs honoring students

If you could ignore the flash of cameras, the hovering video recorders and a celebrity or two, it was just the ladies having an intimate, upscale Sunday lunch.

A bit of conversation and a little food — OK, a gourmet meal including filet mignon and crème brulée — shared by six high school seniors and a few new friends, hosted by Tanya Rodriguez Ski in her eight-bedroom Dunwoody home.

Frank Ski Foundation

Singer Monica and radio personality Frank Ski talk at the luncheon.

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It was, she said, an awards ceremony disguised as a get-together.

“We have our own legends right here in our town. I want these young ladies to get a chance to sit down and talk with people they might read about or see on television,” Ski said.

In its second such event, the Frank Ski Kids Foundation was honoring six Clayton County high school students chosen for their leadership and academics: Mia Gipson, Morgan McGhee, Janeau’ Wright, Genetta Reeves, Chidinma Anyiwo and Kayla Swain. They represented Lovejoy, Jonesboro, Mundy’s Mill and North Clayton high schools.

The Frank Ski Kids Foundation is named for the V-103 radio personality; Tanya is his wife and the group’s president.

As the sun streamed in, Fleming’s Steakhouse produced a steady stream of dishes. At one end of the table was Grammy winner Monica; at the other, Xernona Clayton, former assistant to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and later an executive at TBS.

Monica cautioned the teens that every person’s actions can be for good or ill. She urged them not to surrender control of their lives, saying, “I have never believed in living in somebody else’s shadow. I made my own decisions. What outside people think, you need to keep on the outside.”

Clayton, founder of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, which honors accomplished African-Americans, praised Sunday’s event. “I hope these kids will learn and pass it on. As a society, we must help each other,” she said.

The high school seniors were transported to the event in a 30-foot Escalade limousine. After lunch, they were given an upscale goodie bag that included a BCBG dress, a set of fragrances, a devotion book, an overnight bag and a certificate of accomplishment. Oh — and a $1,000 scholarship. “I was pretty shocked,” said Kayla Swain, a Lovejoy senior who expects to attend Ohio State University in the fall.

The money, advice and support are meant to reward talented young women but also to add to their momentum. For instance, Chidinma Anyiwo is a Mundy’s Mill senior who is headed next year to the University of Georgia. Four years from now, she hopes to be ready for medical school. Four years ago, she was in Nigeria.

“My uncle was here,” she said, “and he said if we came here, we would get more opportunity to become whatever we want to be.”