Mentoring
Young Women
Leaders Program
The Future is Female
The ideas and initiatives taken by women are shaping our world. But too often many of us who are ambitious or confident are seen as a threat to "the man". From a young age, girls are taught to steer away from challenging careers that may get in the way of marriage and motherhood. Girls are taught to find a less demanding job so they can come home to cook, clean, and cater. And when they do go out for a job, they learn early on to not go after a position they aren't 100% qualified for. But what's funny is the same standards are not upheld with boys. Boys are taught to go for the hard careers, seek that promotion despite not having all the qualifications, and find the pretty girl that'll make a good mother.
One of the most damaging thing society teaches girls is that their looks are everything. At the start of puberty, girls are objectified and looked at as sexual objects. I have seen firsthand how my female classmates would be sent home for wearing a skirt too short or sent to in-school suspension because they wore a shirt with spaghetti straps. Why such extreme punishments? Because it's distracting to the boys. Social media has conditioned girls to always look perfect or else "you'll never find a man". The pressure put on young ladies to look and act a certain way for the acceptance of men is what sometimes leads to psychological or physical harm.
That's why I choose to be a Big Sister through the Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP). I was able to collaborate with other Big Sisters to faciliate leadership sessions to a group of 7th-grade girls. We held discussions and engaged in activities on topics like body positivity, conflict resolution, and being a woman leader. Being a Big Sister meant a lot to me because these are the talks and mindset I wish were instilled in me growing up. Society works so hard to uphold the stereotype that girls are weak and boys are strong. Girls, too, need to learn that they take up half the space on this Earth and they should not only be proud but own it. In a male-dominated world, I fell that it was important to empower the women of tomorrow to teach them that they too can have it all.
LEAD Scholars
Academy
LEAD Love!
College is more than going to class, getting a degree, and entering the real world. College gives young adults the platform to find themselves, their passions, and their village.
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The surprising thing I learned about college is that most of your learning happens outside the classroom. You won't get that internship or job opportunity in your 8 AM class, but instead at the Job Fair offered in between your morning and afternoon classes. The on-campus resources like therapy, tutoring, and advising are available to help with your personal, professional, and academic development. But as a freshman in college, its sometimes hard to know where to seek help and opportunities on campus when you need them.
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That's why I loved being a peer mentor for the LEAD Scholars Academy. I was able to inform first-year scholars of the on-campus and community resources they needed to shape themselves into future leaders. Being a part of this program gave me a chance to tell first-year scholar what I wish I knew or what I would've done differently coming into college. Its a good thing to learn the mistake of others and get a headstart toward a success.