Excitement must have been running high on Thursday morning, anyway, as two local high schools in Los Angeles planned to host Victor Luis, the chief executive of Coach, as part of the brand’s involvement with Step Up’s Dream Big programme. Little did they know, however, that their impressionable students would also get to meet musician and teen idol Selena Gomez.
The 24-year-old singer surprised and thrilled her young fans by joining Luis and team to inspire, and be inspired by, the girls, whom she spent time chatting to about their goals and after-school activities. And there were plenty of hugs and selfies to go around.
Coach’s national charity partner, Step Up aims to empower young women from under-resourced communities. “Step Up’s mission to empower young women is personally important to me, and something even more crucial in under-served communities. Working with the young women I met today was an inspirational experience – it’s crazy how much they are willing to put others before themselves,” said Gomez, who came on as a spokesperson for Coach in December.
She interacted with the girls one on one, participated in their craft workshops and also gifted them new Coach bags. The Coach Foundation pledged US$3 million (Dh11m) to Step Up in November, to offer "young women the support, confidence and connections to fulfil their potential".
pmunyal@thenational.ae
