World AIDS Day, December 1st, was established in 1988 to fight against, show support, and commemorate people who have died of HIV. The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year in spreading awareness and supporting the prevention of HIV. The Foundation seeks to continue to break the transmission cycle as well as raise money to provide care for those affected. Significant progress has been made in the prevention of AIDS however still today, 37 million people worldwide live with HIV, and HIV/AIDs continues to be the second leading cause of death for teens across the world.  Also, AIDs-related deaths in young people ages 10-19 have tripled since 2000.  Elizabeth Taylor provides an excellent example of what it means to make an impact and be a mentor, as she continues to do so through her foundation and her dedication to raising funds to prevent this pandemic from growing in 2016. If you have time, check out her amazing mentoring story here. Also, we recommend reading Firooz Zahedi’s book, My Elizabeth.

Photo Credits to Firooz Zahedi