Korinn Carter has been through a lot, growing up with little money and without her mother. And at 16, she found out her best friend was pregnant.

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But the 21-year-old Korinn is using what she's been through to help other young women as well as girls in high school and middle school.

Korinn founded the organization Chase Dreams Not Boys to empower young minority women who are missing that all-important positive influence in their lives.

"They didn't have someone in their ear to tell them they can do anything, no matter how big your dream is, they can obtain it,” she says. “So I want Chase Dreams Not Boys to be that for those girls who don't have that in their life."

The organization offers an 18-week after school program to help young girls build self-esteem. And it mentors college-aged girls.

"It covers different topics like women's health, relationships with males, positive self-esteem, we go over the importance of higher education, resume building,” she says.

Chase Dreams Not Boys also offers a program to help girls growing up without their mothers. Korinn says for each girl in Chase Dreams Not Boys -- she has a wish.

"I want her to have better guidance and all of that and I want her to live in a world where she feels like she can do anything.," she says.