Rassalyn Rawls-Uter is a community leader in College Park, GA serving as a business owner and advocate for young girls through her organization, Motherless Daughters Foundation, Inc. (MDF) Born in Vicenza, Italy, Rassalyn has lived abroad in Panama, California, Washington, D.C., and New Mexico.  As a Professional Stylists of 16 years, Rassalyn has won numerous awards and has been featured in various magazines such as the Atlanta Tribune and Upscale. She has also written several columns in Sophisticate’s Black Hair Styles magazine.  Rassalyn has been awarded with a host of awards including the 2016 College Park Citizen of the Year, the Foundation of the Year, the Rice Awards for Education, the "Special Recognition" award by the B.I.D.A. Business and Industrial Development Authority, the Service Star Award from the Georgia Track Club, and the Business and Beauty Women of Excellence Leadership Award. 

 

Rassalyn serves as the Executive Director of the Motherless Daughters Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization providing guidance and assistance to young girls between the ages of nine and sixteen.  The goal of the foundation is to help young girls achieve academic success, make positive decisions in life, and aspire for greatness in all endeavors. The idea of MDF was born from a “Pamper Day” that Rassalyn hosted for young girls to teach them how to maintain their personal hygiene and provide an outlet for sharing their thoughts and ideas about life.  The foundation was formed in March 2013 by Rassalyn and a group of businesswomen, “Women of Influence of the Historic District of College Park”.  Today, MDF operates Chapters in Fulton County and Clayton County. After receiving the Clayton County Block Grant, MDF partnered with the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to launch Youth in Aviation (YIA) in January 2022. This program provides opportunities in Aviation to youth throughout the community. 

 

Rassalyn has cultivated working relationships with neighborhood leaders, federal, state, and local government officials to support the mission of MDF. Some of those partnerships include AT&T, City of College Park, City of Forest Park, City of Atlanta, Fulton County Schools and the Xernona Clayton Foundation. In 2014, Xernona Clayton, C.E.O. of the Trumpet Foundation became the "Honorary Mother".

 

The passion that started as a young girl extends beyond the salon and foundation. Every Christmas Rassalyn host a sickle cell Christmas toy drive at her salon, Xclusive Hair Studio & Spa to support the children at Hughes Spalding Children’s Hospital. In addition to the foundation and business, Rassalyn is an active member of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, the Atlanta Commerce Club, Georgia Concerned Beauty Professionals, advisor to the Empire board of directors, and coordinator for the College Park National Stylist Association. 

From professional hair stylist and business owner to mentor and community leader, Rassalyn serves as a positive role model offering etiquette, self-esteem awareness, tutoring, and spiritual guidance on their journey to become future leaders in the community and leading role models for others. Rassalyn is a dedicated wife and mother of seven children and is a committed partner in education.