Adrianna Cedillo wants to own a radio station.

“Music just hits my heart,” said the junior at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School, near Fair Park in Dallas.

The guitar-loving, talkative teen has an ambitious goal – especially considering that she comes from a school district with a dropout rate of “just over 60 percent,” according to Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

But despite daunting odds, Adrianna has the encouragement and support of an initiative launched today by Coca Cola and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas.

The "Dallas Elevators" program, the first of its kind in the country, brings together a select group of high school juniors and seniors with leaders from government, business and the arts.

The program – intended to "give students an opportunity to elevate their lives" – combines a character development curriculum with mentoring. Participating students will get to shadow successful adults, including Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars, artist and designer Brad Oldham and Mix 102.9 radio personality Victoria Snee.

“The main purpose is to motivate students, to find their passion,” said Carolyn Alvey, a spokeswoman for the effort.

“When a young person finds his or her passion and devotes all their energy to it, they become one more adult that the city of Dallas can be proud of.”

Next week, the 14 local Boys & Girls Club locations will launch the coursework, a nine-month program that incorporates video, print and online tools to teach character and life skills.

The inaugural class of about 200 students is to “graduate” in May.

“The way I see it, the only way I can go is up,” said Adrianna, who hopes to attend Southern Methodist University after graduating.

Her mother, Dora Hernandez, a single parent and part-time worker, said she has high hopes for the program.

“If it actually works, if they do the things they say they’re going to do, it’s going to be amazing,” she said.