this is "nightline." tonight, a young woman's mission to join her hero. >> i've been praying and visualizing myself in africa with you and the team in june. >> proo said yes, taking her along to open her school in south africa. >> i said "yes," because i could feel your passion. >> forging a strong bond with these women from the bleakest of circumstances. >> where do you think you would be right now, if you hadn't gone to the academy? >> i'd probably be dead. >> under intense pressure to succeed. >> i have people back home. that's what i always think about. me being here gives them hope. plus a whole new "scandal." kerry washington taking michael strahan for a spin behind the scenes of her explosive show.

how she kept her baby bump secret from the audience. >> behind flowers, behind prada purses. >> and why this season will be different from all that came before. >> she has a blank slate in her relationships. good girl! >> and baby got balance. this daddy, daughter duo is lighting up the internet with their acrobatic artistry. but is it safe? but first, the "nightline" 5. number one in just 60 seconds.

good evening, thanks for joining us. tonight we bring you the inspiring story of a young woman who landed a dream assignment, working with oprah at her school for girls in south africa. the first year, bumpy, due to an abuse scandal involving one employee. but oprah stood firm and ten years later, hundreds of young women's lives have been transformed with opportunities otherwise unimaginable. here's kimberly brooks with their incredible stories. >> reporter: these are the ogirls. bright young women from some of the poorest neighborhoods in south africa. chosen for the opportunity of a lifetime. >> it's not a given that any and every south african girl can get an education.

>> reporter: it was ten years ago this month when oprah opened the oprah winfrey leadership academy for girls. >> this is a supreme moment of destiny for me. i've been coming to this day my entire life. >> reporter: these girls had big dreams, but even bigger obstacles. the school was their life line. >> people don't understand, where we come from, what we've gone through. for some of us, this is our way out. >> reporter: five of the women from the very first class are sharing their stories as part of the new fusion documentary, "o girls." >> i wanted to help girls who were like me, girls who really wanted it. they could see the possibility for themselves, if only. you take that girl, you put her in school, you give her an opportunity to walk through the door of higher education, and we have what has happened here with these girls. >> reporter: and in a much different way, oprah would change my life too.

as a woman and specifically as a black woman, to turn on the television and see someone who just completely owned her space, you know, you're drawn to that, you're inspired by that. so i knew out of college, the only place i was going to be was the oprah winfrey show. i basically harassed this guy until i got a job there. i landed an entry level job as an assistant at harpo studios. but my dream was to travel with oprah and her team to her school in south africa. i decided to write her a letter. i've been praying and visualizes myself in africa with you and the team in june. i feel it's a voyage i'm meant to make. i remember the day she passed by and said, kim, i got your letter. and i just -- i felt like my heart went down to my stomach and came back up to the top of my chest. it was cool. >> i've always wondered why you said yes. >> i said yes because i could feel your passion in that letter. i could feel your soul. i could feel the heart of you.

i could feel it was something that really mattered and if i come across somebody who feels that this is what i'm supposed to do, and i can help that happen, then that's what i do. >> when i first got to the school and started meeting all of these girls, it's like we had known each other for a while. they would just run up to me, and they were very intrigued. i had a different accent, and they just were very curious. they wanted to teach me their phrases. they wanted to teach me their dances. and it was beautiful. but a decade later with 400 girls having made it through the academy, the o-girl sisterhood is spreading around the world. >> so we want this to be the numerator instead of the denominator. >> oh, my goodness! >> hello! >> your room is not your average dorm room. everything is a little bit special. >> yeah. >> like, this has never been on

my to-do list. salute torrian speech. >> this is my mom-o corner. so i have birthday cards from mom o. my bongee baby girl, so happy you're turning 20 and coming into your full self. i adore you and love you, mom-o. >> i love that. >> i don't know if she knows how grateful i am. i hope she does. i tell her all the time. >> what do you think when you look at this picture of your home? >> it's just one of those things where i don't even have the words for it. but the emotions that i feel just brings tears to my eyes. yeah, so, it humbled me. it just reminds me of where i come from. oh, my gosh! >> yeah. >> yeah. >> the biggest thing that they have to do is balance this life,

the american culture, and then going back home. i think bongaka has one of the toughest journeys home. her house is a classic clay home, comes from circumstances that are, i won't say primitive, but certainly foreign, and she's graduating summa cum laude at spellman. >> two different lives. >> two different lives and trying to balance that world. that is a very, very challenging thing to do. >> i have people back home. that's what i always think about, who are waiting and who get up every single day and the driving force behind them getting up is the fact that i'm here. and so, you know, me being here gives them hope for, you know, a better life, whatever. so i can't afford to mess up. >> yeah.

>> while some of the women have been able to attend university in america, most have remained in south africa. i wanted to visit one of the girls who stayed. >> hi, kim! how are you doing? >> i'm good! >> good to see you. >> good to see you. >> you look beautiful. >> thank you. >> reporter: charmaine is working on a campaign to foster youth development in her south african township. >> so if you had to sum up your time since you left oleg, what would you even say? >> a lot of my identity had revolved around being an o-lag girl. >> what does that mean? >> i girl who never failed. you were a leader. wherever you are, you needed to be an outstanding person, wherever you are, you needed to be the best that you could be. and i got to realize that you won't be great wherever you go. you know, sometimes there will be people who are better than

you. and it's okay. >> reporter: on this day, she's leading a book drive for young girls in the neighborhood. >> we are launching our campaign called "no girl left behind." it's basically to get young girls into the culture of reading. and not just reading, but into a community of sisters that support each other. ♪ ♪ >> thank you for coming, and we hope you come again. >> reporter: meanwhile, back in the states, it's graduation day at spelman college. >> how is it possible that a girl from the villages of wka-zulu, who had never read a novel before the age of 13, would come to one of the most prestigious colleges in the states? [ cheers and applause ] ♪

>> congratulations! >> so when you look at your life, where do you think you would be right now if you hadn't gone to the academy? >> i'd probably be dead. i think i would have gotten pregnant. so, a combination of, you know, feeling restrained, and probably being married to some guy who was not even smart, would have led me to honestly take my life. >> you say it with such certainty. >> it's hard. to be a girl where i come from. how do you say thank you to somebody who has saved your life? i am who i am today because of her. >> i feel as each one graduates, i think, all right, that phase

is done. and well done. well, well, well done. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm kimberly brooks in santa barbara, california. >> check out the full o-girls documentary on fusion.net. up next, michael strahan steps into kerry washington's scandalous new world. and later, the incredible balancing baby. how did dad teach his daughter to do that? have you any wool? no sir, no sir, some nincompoop stole all my wool sweaters, smart tv and gaming system. luckily, the geico insurance agency recently helped baa baa with renters insurance. everything stolen was replaced. and the hooligan who lives down the lane was caught selling the stolen goods online. visit geico.com and see how easy it is to switch and save on renters insurance. mone hundredts thousand times a day,

sending oxygen to my muscles. again! so i can lift even the most demanding weight. take care of all your most important parts with centrum. now verified non gmo and gluten free. ♪...nausea, heartburn,♪ indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea!♪ ♪nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea!♪ here's pepto bismol! ah. ♪nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea!♪ if you're gonna make an entrance... [car driving upon the water] ♪

and for just $15.99big festival of shrimp you can pick 2 of 6 new and classic creations on one plate new flavors like sweet bourbon-brown sugar grilled shrimp and bold firecracker red shrimp are too big to last so hurry in. it's just a cough.our cough, sfx: woman coughing you'd see how often you cough all day. and so would everyone else. robitussin 12 hour delivers fast, powerful cough relief that lasts up to 12 hours. robitussin 12 hour cough relief, because it's never just a cough. what are you doing up? mom said i could have a midnight snack. it's not even midnight, it's ten forty-three. well, let's have a ten forty-three snack. quietly, though. okay. yeah.

mmmm. shhhh. hey i'll share my yoplait custard if you share your yoplait dippers? deal. deal. mmmm. the family favorite. yoplait.

okay, have you ever wondered what it would look like if abc's

michael strahan played olivia pope on the show "scandal"? if you haven't before, you're probably wondering right now, come on. and guess what, michael met with kerry washington for a behind-the-scenes tour of the hollywood set and the audition of a lifetime. >> here we are on the set of "scandal." i'm going where no camera has gone before. the makeup room with kerry washington. this could get scandalous. come on. hello! >> no! [ laughter ] >> what are you doing here? >> what's up? >> hi, how are you doing? >> after eight long months, abc's "scandal" returned tonight. with an explosive season 6 premiere. >> do not give up! >> all of this crazy drama and suspense that fans can't get enough of. >> olivia pope. >> is created right here on this hollywood lot. >> here we go. hold on tight. find your seat belt, sir.

>> i'm like that. >> lots of famous movies have been shot here and cool tv shows. "scandal" among them. >> so this is the famous olivia pope -- >> yeah, this is behind the scenes. and if you enter into here, it means you're in a lot of trouble. because you are a client at pope & associates. >> i'm a client! >> this is our conference room. this is where we interrogate folks. >> you two are the absolute worst kind of people, the kind who have everything, but still want more! >> so if we get you on the show, we'll have your picture up here, because you're a problem. this is olivia's office. >> you go in here, you're really in trouble. >> yeah, this is the inner sanctum. in previous seasons there's always been pictures up here of people that are close to olivia, whether it's fitz or it could have been cyrus, and this season, you'll see no one is up

here. she has a blank slate in her relationships. nobody's close enough to be a picture on this table. >> so that is an indication that you're kind of on an island by yourself. >> i am. i am a little bit. trying to figure out how to have some clarity in my relationships. olivia's got some issues. >> if you want to clear it up, you could tell me right now what's going to happen this season. think of me as your friendly counsellor. >> michael, i really do like you, but i like my job more. and if i tell you, i'll get fired. >> but kerry was able to give me a little scoop, about filming the show while hiding the fact that she was pregnant in real life. >> you could play a really fun game for the first five episodes of "find the bump." because we shot five episodes before i gave birth. behind flowers, behind prada

purses. behind big coats. >> do you know how many people are running that back looking for the bump. in addition to a role on "scandal," kerry also runs her own production company called simpson street. >> it's not fancy. >> but you're very accomplished out of this place. what kind of projects are coming out of simpson street? >> we started with "confirmation," a bfilm i did fr hbo. >> i deny everythingr every allegation against me today. >> it's a film about anita hill and clarence thomas. >> this is political theater and thomas just performed. >> he is not the victim. >> it's a little bit of pressure, but we're developing projects for television, comedy and drama films, it's really exciting. >> since i'm here on set and you brought me to your office, can i audition for you for "scandal"? >> i guess. do you have a monologue prepared? >> i grabbed? lines from the show. i've seen you do them. you're auditioning for olivia

pope? >> no, just trying to show my range. if you don't mind. >> no, i have time. >> give you some of your best zingers. >> you're being stupid here. >> i am many things, stupid is not one of them. >> i am many things, stupid is not one of them. [ laughter ] >> this is not a comedy. this is drama! >> no, but we are developing comedy. so it's not necessarily a bad thing that you got some laughs. >> how about this one. >> prove it to me, right now! show me whou are, cyrus bean! >> show me who you are, cyrus bean! [ laughter [ laughter ] >> um, that's good. >> that's better? >> that's good. >> i felt that one in the gut. >> do you have any others? ♪ ♪ >> it's handled. >> and you know what? >> what? >> it's handled. >> wait, did we procedure thare because i should send that to

shonda. that was good, michael. i got a little -- chills. >> i quit! i'm moving to hollywood! peace! >> for "nightline," i'm michael strahan in hollywood. >> always good. up next, this baby girl has a leg up on your gymnastics career. so why are some people trying to bring her down? abc news "nightline," brought to you by mercedes-benz. ♪ whether you're after supreme performance... advanced intelligence... or breathtaking style... there's a c-class just for you. decisions, decisions, decisions. lease the c300 sedan for $389 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing.

proof of less joint pain. and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. humira. what's your body of proof?

incr...think it wouldotection in a pwork, but it does.dn't... it's called always discreet for bladder leaks, the super... ...absorbent core turns liquid to gel. i know i'm wearing it but no one else will. always discreet for bladder leaks. by simply enjoying it. boost® simply complete. it's intelligent nutrition made with only 9 ingredients, plus 25 vitamins and minerals and 10 grams of protein. and look where life can take you! boost®. be up for it.™

trythe unique formula withched nourishing almond oil...

...leaves skin smoother. moisturized for 24 hours. nivea essentially enriched. for noticeably smoother skin. directv now! the f[ now echos ]s now. 'now' does not mean now. 'future' is a relative term. nfl sunday ticket, red zone and the nfl network are not included. cbs and showtime, again, not included. most live local stations only available in select markets - fingers crossed. streaming to more than two devices at once is a subject we'd rather not talk about. dvr and downloading on the go, yeah, good luck with that. all other terms and frustrations apply. so why wait? call now. don't let directv now limit your entertainment. choose xfinity and get more to stream to any screen.

♪ ♪ and finally tonight, you know the 2032 olympics are just a decade and a half away. and one young woman has already begun training. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: meet kevin and little sophia russell. >> good girl! >> reporter: the daddy-daughter duo taking family bonding to new heights. >> good girl! >> reporter: the pair first

capturing hearts on the internet last month, after this post showcasing a year and a half worth of practice, balancing. >> i started probably around four months, is when, like, she could stand up on her own. it always started with her on my chest like this, and then she would just rock forward. and then she would find her own weight and stand up on it like that. >> reporter: kevin says balancing is a multi-generational family tradition. >> it's been in our family for a couple generations. my grandpa used to do, and then my dad. we have 16 nieces and nephews, so i had a lot of practice with them. >> reporter: but parenting opinions can require the ultimate balancing act. dad has faced criticism from some who believe the stunt is too dangerous. >> she always knows to collapse.

there's never any danger of her falling. >> reporter: could there be a future in gymnastics? >> we'll have her in gymnastics probably starting next year. and then probably jujitsu as well. >> we're always online with our "nightline" facebook page, goodnight, america.