In 2011, 14-year-old Nadia Hilton-Adams, a Junior USTA and high school all-region tennis player, won Maria Sharapova’s "Use Your Instinct" essay contest, sponsored by Tennis Channel & Head Racquet Sports. Her prize was a ½ day visit and hitting session in Greenville, SC, where Maria traveled to meet and hit with Nadia and two friends. 

​

Wanting to thank Maria in a meaningful way, Nadia learned that Sharapova served as ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and decided to spend the next six months fundraising for her cause to surprise her.  

 

Working quietly behind the scenes with Maria’s management team, Nadia did indeed surprise Maria with a gift of nearly $6,000, which was matched by Head Racquet sports; bringing the total contribution to $12,000.​

 

The one-minute Tennis Channel feature aired nationally and continued running ran for more than five years. 

 

Shortly thereafter, Nadia and her mother, Dawn Hilton-Williams, partnered with local leaders to launch  free monthly fitness and self-esteem programs across community centers in Upstate, SC.

​​

In 2014, Nadia accepted a full Division I athletic scholarship to North Carolina A&T State University, where she helped lead the women’s tennis team to winning seasons and back-to-back MEAC Championship berths. 

​​

While balancing collegiate athletics and academics, Nadia remained committed to community youth through fundraising efforts and community centered tennis programming. During the summer, she also worked as a Nike Sports (Tennis) Camp Lead Instructor in Florida.

​​

By 2016, Power is Giving was formally established as a 501(c)(3) organization and  in 2023, relocated operations and programs from Upstate, SC to Charlotte, NC