Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Surprised a Teenager With a Mentoring Session

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently surprised a teenage girl with a mentoring session over Zoom, set up by L.A. Works and the "I Have a Dream" Foundation.

  • Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had an inspiring mentoring session with a teenage girl.
  • The Sussexes surprised the teen over Zoom, in a session set up by L.A. Works and the "I Have a Dream" Foundation.
  • Meghan and Harry also sent her a sweet gift after the Zoom call.
  • "Their compassion, in just a short conversation, really made an impact and is going to forever inspire her," L.A. Works executive director Deborah Brutchey said.

This is absolutely lovely: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently surprised a teenage girl with a Zoom mentoring session, People reports. The session was set up by volunteering organization L.A. Works and the "I Have a Dream" Foundation, which works to boost children's access to higher education. 

L.A. Works executive director Deborah Brutchey spoke to People about the Sussexes' mentoring session, sharing that the teenager was "really moved" by their "compassion, humility and wisdom."

"She had this moment of surprise and excitement when she got on the phone with the Duke and Duchess," Brutchey said. "She knew of them, she knew a lot—she had been following Meghan's story quite a bit, so she was very excited that she had the opportunity to speak with them."

"It was really significant for her because they saw her potential in a few short minutes, which actually really undid some damage that had been previously caused by a former teacher's doubt," Brutchey continued. "It was just amazing how they were able to connect and how their compassion, in just a short conversation, really made an impact and is going to forever inspire her."

"The conversation that they had was really about how do you overcome challenges in your life? And how do you stay true to your values? Things that are so relatable to young girls but also so public in what the Duke and Duchess have gone through," she said. "Having The Duke and Duchess share their compassion and wisdom with a young girl from the I Have a Dream Foundation helped to spark a new confidence in her and reminds all of us that it only takes a few minutes to change a person's life forever."

One more sweet detail? Meghan and Harry spotted sunflowers in their mentee's room during the call—so they sent her sunflowers afterwards, as well as an inspiring note. Again: lovely!

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Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.