She’s the First Intern Posts

Want to Intern for She’s the First?

Spring 2013 Intern Kristin Sprague

If you’re searching for your summer internship and want a hands-on experience that directly impacts girls’ lives around the world, while teaching you the ropes of running a start-up, then you’re in the right place. We’re seeking superstar summer 2013 interns to join our team!

Take a look at the opportunities described below, and submit your most creative cover letter and resume to us by April 1st.

She’s the First interns work under the wings of and serve as primary aides to our full-time staff–the Founder/President and Director of International Operations–and also support our volunteer teams & committees.

ALL POSITIONS REQUIRE:

  • Availability 2-3 days a week
  • Work in-person from the NYC She’s the First office
  • Receive college credit

 

INTERNSHIP POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

International Operations Intern: Our ideal International Operations intern will have extensive research skills, top-notch writing abilities, and a strong knowledge and interest in international news and development. This person will be responsible for updating the website (WordPress-based), researching various development-related topics, and assisting with the penpal program.

Fall 2012 intern Kim Horner

Design/Creative Intern: Our dream design intern will be just like Kristin Sprague! During the spring semester, she’s creating graphics, flyers, and all sorts of marketing materials that strengthen our brand in the world and make our impact on girls’ lives visual.

Web Development Intern: Later this year, we’d like to relaunch our website to be more tablet and mobile-friendly, which includes improving our online donation platform and making our penpal program with the girls we sponsor even more tech efficient. We’re looking for a student who can teach us a thing or two about best practices in the user experience and jump into our site’s coding. Be a part of shesthefirst.org 3.0!

Marketing/Finance Intern: You will assist the President with presentations and outreach to corporate partners, maintaining a database of grants and assisting with applications, and helping her to manage donor relations by issuing tax receipts, thank you notes, etc. The ideal candidate will major in finance, business development, or marketing background and have prior experience working or volunteering at a non-profit organization.

Do-It-All Intern: Your special focus will be on projects and campaigns related to the She’s the First campus chapters & the high school outreach programs of She’s the First. The summer’s biggest projects are the 3rd Annual Tie-Dye Cupcake Campaign, a Leadership Summit for She’s the First Campus Chapter Presidents, the Summer Camp of the Young Women’s Leadership High School, and helping us prepare travel logistics for a 2-month tour of our East Africa partner schools.

APPLY

To apply for any of the positions above, please send a resume and short cover letter OR video message to the She’s the First inbox, info@shesthefirst.org, by April 1st. Of all the amazing internship opportunities out there, why do you want to work with She’s the First?

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Calling All Pretty Amazing Girls!

In September 2012, we saw a familiar face on the cover of Seventeen: Lindsay Brown, the She’s the First chapter president at the University of Notre Dame! She was selected for being a stellar student athlete for organized a tie-dye cupcake bake sale for She’s the First, which led her to visit the girls she sponsored in Nepal and then create a nonprofit to teach girls in developing countries how to play soccer and be confident on the field and in the classroom. To do all this, she had to quit the soccer team and forfeit her own academic scholarship. Pretty amazing.

It’s that time of year when Seventeen is once again on the search for its 2013 cover girl in the 3rd annual Pretty Amazing Reader Cover Contest. In this competition, Seventeen asks girls ages 15-22 who are talented, creative, and inspiring to share their story. The winner also gets a $10,000 scholarship!

Last year the spotlight was on empowering girls in the developing world. What other accomplishments can you share with Seventeen? How have you, or one of your friends, inspired others to be pretty amazing? Spread the word!

Submit your story to Seventeen in 1,000 words or less and upload two photos by April 30th, 2013. For more contest information and to enter click here. If you want us to put in a good word for you, just email our Founder/President Tammy Tibbetts, tammy@shesthefirst.org.

 

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What’s Your Recipe for Success? Meet Winner of $500 Scholarship

What’s your recipe for success? She’s the First partnered with scholarship mecca Zinch.com to ask this question to millions of students across America. The prize: A $500 scholarship for the most creative “baker,” matched with $500 for STF scholar Jancy in Bangalore, India to continue her education (she’s a recent graduate of our partner school Shanti Bhavan, now in college!)

The Bake A Change Scholarship took place during the Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off in November and received more than 9,400 entries!

There was a hard part: We could only pick one award winner…and the judges from She’s the First & Zinch decided, the 2012 Bake A Change Scholarship winner is Julie Sessler!

Julie had a great entry, which included “1 positive attitude, a bunch of supportive friends, a pinch of passion and love” and (most importantly) “Mix it all up and be proud of what you’ve created!”

How has Julie actually put her recipe into action? You’ll have to read the exclusive interview with her on Zinch.com’s “More than a Test Score” blog for the answer!

Would you like to see more She’s the First & Zinch scholarships in 2013? Leave a comment below to let us know!

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‘Tis the Season for Gifts that Give Back!

The holiday gift giving season is officially here! There are even three Twitter hash tags to kick it off: #BlackFriday, #CyberMonday, #GivingTuesday. (Hint, hint: Tweet about this post after you read it!)

From Bake a Change t-Shirts to cupcake necklaces with Swarovski crystal rhinestones, the She’s the First Store has the sweetest gifts for friends, family, and world-changers on your list this year … and even a few things you’ll want to keep for yourself!

Here’s our list of the top 5 gifts that give back to She’s the First:

1. Pink Lip Collection from Jane Cosmetics – Make everyone’s “nice” list this holiday season by gifting the Pink Lip Collection — 100% of profits go to She’s the First!

2. Bake a Change Long Sleeve Thermal - Nothing will keep you warmer than a gift from the heart! Designed by students and manufactured by eco-friendly company Custom Organics, this thermal is the perfect gift for an avid baker or cupcake enthusiast — 100% of profits sponsor girls’ education with She’s the First!

3. She’s the First Bracelet – A special gift to remind your best friend or sister what she’s “first” to achieve, this “I.D” bracelet features eco-friendly leather and is handmade in the U.S.A. — 20% of each online sale will go to She’s the First to support our India and Kenya partner schools!

4. Cupcake Necklace – Show your She’s the First support (and style!) with a handcrafted Swarovski crystal-sprinkled cupcake necklace — $15 of every $20 goes to directly to She’s the First!

5. Dormify Gift Card - Just the gift for that picky college student on your list, a Dormify gift card ensures that your gift is the perfect fit — 10% of gift card sales sponsor girls’ education in the developing world!

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Wednesday, Join Our #Cupcake411 Hotline!

Can you believe our 2nd Annual Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off is NEXT week?! We kicked off the campaign back in September with a Twitter Party, and now, as we get down to the wire, we’re firing up our social media channels again–with a Cupcake Help Line!

Before you read on about #Cupcake411, remember there’s still time to sign up to host a bake sale here — whether it’s at your school, in your office, at your bakery, or at another popular place in your community!

From November 12-18, more than 150 bake teams will be hosting their bake sales to sponsor girls’ education! For some, this will be their first time organizing a bake sale, and we want to answer any and all last-minute questions you have.

So we decided to open the #Cupcake411 Hotline, this Wednesday, from 4-7pm EST.

We want to answer YOUR questions regarding anything cupcakes! Here’s how #Cupcake411 Hotline will work:

1. Send your questions to @shesthefirst on Twitter or add a comment to our Facebook wall, anytime from 4-7pm EST

2. We’ll answer your questions or direct your questions to one of our experienced bakers on call.

3. Make sure you tag @shesthefirst and use #Cupcake411, so we know you’re talking to us!

Tweet ya later!

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Win a Scholarship for YOU & Jancy in India

How would you like to win some scholarship money for yourself, while also helping a She’s the First scholar in India with her tuition?

She’s the First is teaming up with scholarship website Zinch.com once again, to offer $500 awards in a way that will get your creative juices flowing and inspire others to achieve their dreams.

Submitting your entry is fast and easy:

  1. Go to zinch.com/partner/bakeachange
  2. Fill out the corresponding form and answer the following question:

What is your recipe for success? Have a morning routine to seize the day? A game plan to reach your goals? Or a list of “creative ingredients” to share? Either way, tell us! (In 500 characters or fewer; this includes spaces and punctuation!)

Your deadline is Nov. 18th, also the last day of our Bake-Off.

So, just to recap — here’s what’s in it for you and why you should enter today!

1. Five hundred dollars for you to go to school- that’s a lot of textbooks.

2. Our best responses will be quoted here on our blog and on our social media platforms, like Tumblr and Twitter!

3. Jancy, a college freshman in India, will also receive a $500 scholarship.

P.S. If you think you never win anything, this might be your lucky break! Last April, an awesome student from California, Julia Solano, won a She’s the First scholarship from Zinch–it can happen!

Of course, if you want to make an even bigger impact, sign up to have a bake sale and bring the Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off to your school or town this November 12-18.

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The She’s the First Store is OPEN!

Our She’s the First Store is open, just in time for the 2nd Annual Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake Off and holiday season!

It’s amazing to see the 3 winning and 1 runner-up t-shirts from our design contest with HerCampus.com come to life! You can also find other fun She’s the First accessories, like our signature Asha Patel Designs ID bracelet and handcrafted cupcake necklace by Ash Tree Designs.

This year, we also introduced a long-sleeve thermal option! Shirts are made high-quality by Custom Organics, Inc. We had a blast modeling them in a special photo shoot at Georgetown Cupcakes in SoHo (111 Mercer Street — go visit if you’re in NYC!) and Washington Square Park.

Sign up a team & host a tie-dye cupcake bake sale during our Bake-Off this November 12-18! We need 200 teams in all 50 states to meet our goal, and we’re getting close! Then, place your t-shirt order as soon as you can to ensure delivery by the time of your sale. They make a perfect team uniform. (Custom Organics wlil ship orders out 2x a week during cupcake season!)

Remember She’s the First products keep giving the gift of education! SHOP HERE!

Special thanks to Wix for helping us launch, Kate Lord for the beautiful photos, Georgetown Cupcakes SoHo, and Edward at Custom Organics!

Posted in Gifts That Give Back, She's the First Intern Posts, Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How to Win Free Cupcake Mix for Your Bake Sale

Our Second Annual Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake Off is less than ONE month away!

Naturally Nora and She’s the First want you to be as prepared as can be to “Bake a Change,” so we have some exciting news. For the second year in a row, Nora, the creator of all-natural cupcake mix Naturally Nora, has graciously offered to donate 12 boxes of cake mix AND 12 boxes of frosting to THREE winning teams! (That makes 200 cupcakes!)

This Naturally Nora contest will run for 2 weeks, starting October 17th and ending on Halloween, October 31st.

The amazing detail is that there are two ways to enter: You will automatically be in the running if you have signed up to host a bake sale OR by getting a friend to sign up!

Here’s how you can enter:

1. Sign up HERE to host your own bake sale this November 12-18

2. Recruit a friend to sign up (just make sure they put your name down in the field that asks how they heard about the Bake-Off!)

The more people you get to sign up, the greater your chances of winning! Use Twitter and Facebook as platforms to encourage your friends to sign up.

Here’s a tweet you can send out:

Help me win @NaturallyNora cake mix for my @shesthefirst bake sale by hosting one too! Sign up at http://www.shesthefirst.org/cupcakes

GOOD LUCK!

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Congrats to Winners of Our T-Shirt Design Contest!

Results of the She’s the First & Her Campus 2nd Annual T-Shirt Design Contest, in support of our Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off campaign, are in! The judges – Annie Wang of Her Campus, Genevieve Tabios, the She’s the First Art Director, and Preetha, a student at our India partner school, Shanti Bhavan — have deliberated, and they factored in your votes! She’s the First will be selling the winning designs online for tie-dye cupcake bakers all over the U.S. to wear this November. AND 100% of the profits will go towards sponsoring girls in our partner schools!

The designers of the winning t-shirts will receive “Keep Calm, Have a Cupcake” pillows from Dormify AND a gift bag from Jane Cosmetics.

So without further ado here are your TOP T-SHIRT DESIGNS:

Kelsey Thorn – Bake a Change

Ally Koss- One Cupcake Can Change the World

 

Melissa – Cupcakes Are Muffins That Believe in Miracles

Runner- up: Christine – Baking a Change in the World, One Cupcake at a Time

A VERY special honorable mention goes to Jancy Paul Vincent, one of our students from India, for her design:

Thank you to everyone who participated and voted! The t-shirt store will launch on shesthefirst.org in just a couple weeks.

Don’t forget to sign up to host a bake sale in November if you haven’t already! 100% of proceeds will sponsor girls in our partner schools located in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

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What You Missed at the #STFCupcakes Twitter Party!

Watch the video at youtube.com/shesthefirst

Our FIRST TWITTER PARTY was a blast! Thanks to all who joined the #STFCupcakes convo at 7pm-8pm EST–our She’s the First Campus Chapters, friends, and “VIP Guests”!

It was the official kick-off for the Tie-Dye Cupcake Campaign with She’s the First President Tammy Tibbetts, actress Monique Coleman, and Lindsay Brown, who answered all your fundraising questions live on Google+ on Air! The video streamed to our YouTube page–you can watch the recordings here.

Mo & Tammy

This year, our goal is to raise $50,000 from bake sales in all 50 states, from November 12-18. First step: Sign up a team to start making (or should we say baking) a change!

Baking tie-dye cupcakes is about bringing you and your friends together to achieve equality in education worldwide. 4 out of 5 girls will not finish high school in countries where STF sponsors girls. By baking and selling cupcakes you will be give girls the chance to be THE FIRST to graduate high school!

Here’s a rundown of some of the questions we answered & tips for your own bake sale (you can find more in this Baking Kit!):

CUPCAKE PRICE RANGE : $1-$2! Explain why you’re selling and they might be willing to donate more to the cause!

PROMOTION, PROMOTION, PROMOTION. Make sure to spread the word around campus weeks before your bake sale, so you can have the best turnout.

Who and where are the girls I will be sponsoring: She’s the First has 8 amazing partner programs in developing world countries. 100% of profits you raise in bake sales will be invested in sponsoring girls in these countries.

Cupcakes are a tool to tell the story. Like Lindsay Brown said, it’s what connects you to the girls you’re sponsoring! Go forth and prove that one cupcake really can change the world!

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Vote for She’s the First to Win a #LadyGodivaProgram Grant!

NEWSFLASH: She’s the First is in the running to win a $1,000 grant –and ultimately, a $10,000 grant– with our Founder/President Tammy Tibbetts chosen as one of 9 Semi-Finalists in the Lady Godiva Program, which celebrates inspirational women around the world.

WE GET TO VOTE for the top finalist in each region, who will each win $1,000 for her cause! She’ll then advance to the Finals, with a shot at winning $10,000! Imagine how much that would enable She’s the First to accomplish in 2013–we’ve already sponsored 262 girls in 8 countries and are developing global leaders across 35 campus chapters in the U.S.!

Here are the easy steps to get Tammy and She’s the First on the map:

1. Go to Tammy’s page on the Lady Godiva website and try to vote ONCE EVERY 24 HOURS!

2. Voting started August 28th and lasts until September 26th, so She’s the First community has an entire month to make another inspiring impact by helping She’s the First win.

3. Then after you’ve voted once a day, or as much as you can remember, tell your friends, family, and entire Twitter following to vote too!

Here are some tweets you can send out to help us promote the cause:

Help @TammyTibbetts win a donation for @shesthefirst and become a finalist for the #LadyGodivaProgram here: http://ow.ly/diyCN

May the odds be ever in our favor! @shesthefirst asks you to cast a quick vote to win a grant from #LadyGodivaProgram: http://ow.ly/diyCN

We have to thank the amazing woman who nominated Tammy and She’s the First for this opportunity in the first place–Deirdre Wyeth! Tammy met Deirdre when she was a student member and scholarship winner in New York Women in Communications (a phenomenal organization for any of you pursuing comm careers in NYC!)

Let’s do this!

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@ExplorersTYWLS Camp Ends with Bead Making for Fundraiser

Camp has come to an end and She’s the First is left with lots of new friends, tons of amazing photos, and some great ideas for the future. Every day that we spent with the TYWLS Explorers was wonderful, but I found our final workshop to be the most fun and inspiring.

Last Wednesday we decided to let the girls experience the heart of She’s the First: giving the gift of education to a girl across the world. We talked to the girls about Uganda and how a huge percentage of their population is living on less than $1 per day. We told them about organizations like BeadforLife, started by Torkin Wakefield and Ginny Jordan in 2003, which allow the women of Uganda to break the poverty cycle by making magazine beads to be sold in North America and Europe.

Next, we told the campers about Hellen, a 15 year old girl studying at the Arlington Academy of Hope. Last year STF sponsored Hellen for the first time and this year the TYWLS Explorers have the opportunity to give Hellen another year of education by making and selling magazine beads, just like the women of Uganda!

Nabulwala Hellen, student at AAH

After teaching them how to make the beads, the girls were off and running. They were so excited about helping Hellen that they started tweeting right away!

Not only did the girls get to see how it feels to directly help someone across the world, but they got to bond with the STF volunteers!

Photo by Kate Lord

Photo by Kate Lord

Photo by Kate Lord
Photo by Kate Lord
Photo by Kate Lord
Photo by Kate Lord
Photo by Kate Lord
Photo by Kate Lord

Thank you to the @ExplorersTYWLS for letting us share your camp experience, we had an absolute blast. We have seen firsthand how much of an impact you are capable of making, and we can’t wait to see what other great things you will do!

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Islon from Haiti: I’m the First!

Last month, volunteers from the Haiti Outreach Program visited Boucan Carre to work on projects throughout the community. While they were there, volunteers met a student named Islon, and she quickly stole their hearts. Juliet Suman, an adult volunteer for the HOP, told me all about Islon in a recent letter and why we know she will one day be the first.

Hi Katie!

My name is Juliet Suman and I have had the privilege of traveling to Haiti twice where Islon (11 yrs old in 5th grade ) captured all our hearts. What strikes you instantly about Islon is her confidence…she LOVES being “in her skin”! My own daughter observed in August that she is Haiti’s “IT girl.” In the USA we would just say she’s ALL THAT!

Islon is the oldest of three children and the only girl. Her mother left them to be raised by the grandmother so that she could pursue work in another town. The grandmother could not afford the 3, so Islon (the only girl) has had to live with a different family and be fed by the kindness of the priest at St. Michel Catholic Church. She often goes to bed hungry!

Islon can dance and sing with so much youthful joy (it is contagious to watch)…she is a delight! What really impressed and surprised us was her amazing ability to read English. She could read the words on all our t-shirts, nothing was too hard!!!! She has so much spark and intelligence. Even though she lives more humbly than we can ever imagine, but showed us her mud shack with such pride. “C’est my maison!”

Islon enjoys being alive and loves her world. I think if opportunities were presented to her, she would be able to serve the country she lives as an incredible, educated Haitian young woman.

We were so sure that “she was the first” one that you are looking for, that we videoed her telling you so!!! She says “I AM THE FIRST!”

Sincerely,
Juliet Suman

Islon is just one of many students at St. Michel’s primary school who still need sponsors. For $100/year, the Haiti Outreach Program provides tuition, a uniform, school supplies, and a hot daily meal for students in Boucan Carre. Read about how others have supported the Haiti Outreach Program through She’s the First here. You can do it too!

Have any of you been to, or are you thinking of traveling to, Haiti?

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#CelebrateSTF Tweetup Recap: Our Photographer’s Point of View

* See Photos from the Tweetup here *

* See #CelebrateSTF Tweets here *

The teen staff of the Celebrate Cafe (from the Lower East Side Girls Club)

What could be a more fitting place for a NYC She’s the First Tweetup than the Celebrate Cafe inside the Bowery Poetry Club, owned by the inspiring Lower East Side Girls Club? I’d always heard bits and pieces about the Girls Club: their dedication to providing safe spaces for girls of NYC to learn, grow, and follow their dreams. And now there I was, surrounded by young women informed of our cause via the wonder that is online social media, ready and eager to learn more.

After the She’s the First President/Founder, Tammy Tibbetts, gave a brief overview of our She’s The First goals, we all introduced ourselves and mentioned how we first heard about the cause. And while I don’t personally have a Twitter account (yet!), the ways in which these young professionals heard about STF really proved the power of word of mouth!

As photographer of the night, I got to get close and personal with our attendees when I took their portraits and asked them, “What are you the first to do? What do you still want to be the first to do?” Every answer I received was just as incredible as the women themselves, like Kaitlin Davis, who is the first in her family to perform at Carnegie Hall or girls-school teacher Stephanie, who is the first in her family to get a Masters Degree and go cliff diving, or even NYU Journalism and French Major Lauren Strupp, who was the first in her family to study abroad to Paris. Equally inspiring were the goals of the actual girls of the Lower East Side Girls Club, like Besa Balidemaj, who dreams of being the first woman to open an international organization in Kosovo that protects families, educates them, and helps them achieve their goals financially.

Ajit George stopped by the Tweetup -- he represents the India partner in our directory, the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project.

I had such an amazing time getting together with all of the She’s The First supporters, and I was reminded that not every supporter is a she! I loved that I got a chance to meet Ajit George, the US Director of Operations for Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, where our guest blogger Shreya Bhatt is volunteering this summer. My favorite part of every She’s The First event is when we have new people come and inquire about our non-profit. While photographing the girls, I was approached by Edward (another guy!) who was impressed with our efforts concerning girls’ education and admitted that his girl cousins in the Philippines have even asked him to send money for school instead of Barbie dolls for Christmas presents. All they want to do is learn.

We loved hearing from him and our Tweeters, and now we want to hear your stories! What do you want to be the first to do? You can still be part of the Tweetup if you tweet your answer to @shesthefirst and use our hash tag #CelebrateSTF!

Also, here’s a video from our Director Christen Brandt — experience the Tweetup in 43 seconds!

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Jessica Posner Wins the 2010 Do Something Award!

Jessica Posner wins the jackpot $100,000! Woo hoo, it's like our team won the Super Bowl!

Jessica Posner wins the jackpot $100,000! Woo hoo, it's like our team won the Super Bowl!

What is it that would cause me to almost scream out of joy and wake my entire house up at 10:59pm on a Monday night??? JESSICA POSNER WINNING THE DO SOMETHING AWARD! (since I couldn’t scream in my house I figured I would take advantage of the digital scream through caps lock)! This makes two years in a row that She’s the First partners have won the Do Something Award. Last year’s grand prize award recipient, Maggie Doyne, creator of the BlinkNow Foundation, was on hand for the evening’s festivities. Including, Ashley Shuyler of AfricAid, a 2007 Do Something Finalist, we now have 3 DoSomething Award honorees in our network! We are so proud of all of the work that they’re all doing towards furthering the education of girls worldwide. A big congrats goes out to Jessica! Live it up and enjoy the fruits of your labor! You deserve it!!!

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Mountains and Moments

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”- Anne Frank

This Maisy Monday is the beginning of the final week of my second semester of graduate school.  While that may not be monumental to a lot of people, it is to me. I had never intended on going to graduate school. It was a mountain that I was uncertain that I would be able to climb. I took a year off after I got my undergraduate degree and tried to figure out what it was that I wanted to do with my life. My first conversations with my mom

My mom and my grandmother, two of my greatest inspirations

My mom and my grandmother, two of my greatest inspirations

about going to graduate school made me slightly nervous because I knew once I uttered those words…the idea was out there. Before my grandmother passed away last year, I discussed the idea with her and she sealed the deal. Her words to me were…”never stop learning…please, keep going to school.” I knew if she believed in me that much, I could do anything. I picked up the GRE book the next day and started to study. The more I studied, the more I remembered how much I thoroughly enjoyed learning. I found myself getting more and more excited about the possibility of throwing myself into graduate school and loving every minute of it. Before I knew it, I was at graduate student orientation.

My first semester came to a close with straight A’s. I worked harder than I ever had before…but the key to this was that I had finally found my passion. It was always there but grad school helped me to tap into it at a deeper level. This semester began my She’s the First adventure…and what an adventure it has been. At this moment, I am currently working on a research paper for my independent study on She’s the First. My paper highlites the epic lengths that She’s the First has come in such a short lifespan and how the millennial generation has utilized social media to make a difference.  She’s the First has built itself upon a foundation of the input and talents of its followers. I was once just a She’s the First twitter follower. Now, here I am….a couple months later…an intern and preparing to get more involved.  I’ve learned so much in my She’s the First journey and it’s far from over. Not only have I learned so much, but I’ve felt so much. I am constantly amazed by the ambition, talent, and generosity of everyone in our network and above all, the passion that everyone has to make a difference.

She’s the First has so many exciting things in the works. There is one thing I can say for certain: no one is going to stop this incredibly talented team of ladies (and now gentleman)! So, if everyone would be so kind as to leave me a comment, my questions for the week to you are these: Who is someone in your life that has inspired you to achieve your firsts and how did they do so?

I have tried to draw inspiration from everything and everyone in my life. I’ve found inspiration in failure and success…in my best of friends and those that have been a challenge to me. Some have been one in the same. My best advice that I can give you at this point in my life is to surround yourself with positive, encouraging people who are going to support you in achieving your dreams.  No matter what though, never give up your belief in yourself and your ability to make a difference in the world. Look at the things that She’s the First has achieved in less than a year. Imagine the possibilities! So, go climb your mountain, whatever your mountain may be.

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The Story of a Pink Uniform

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Madeline Chevril, when I met her in 2008

I want to introduce you to Madeline Chevril. She sings. She dances. She squeaks when she gets excited and has a smile that will light up your day.

One thing she did not have when I met her was a school uniform. I met Madeline in January of 2008, on my second trip to Boucan Carre, Haiti. She was a preschool student at St. Michel’s Primary school, one of the schools supported by the Haiti Outreach Program. Our purpose on this trip was to update records on St. Michel’s students and photograph every single one of them for the sponsorship program.

As we were about to leave, little preschoolers dressed in pink caught my eye. If you ever have the chance to visit Boucan Carre, be warned. These kids are distracting and adorable and you will be yelled at to get back to work when all you want to do is play and jump and dance with them. One little girl in particular won my attention — Madeline. She blended in at first, but once I really looked at her I realized her dress was orange, not pink like the rest of the uniforms. When I asked her why, she said she didn’t have a uniform. Though this news broke my heart, it really didn’t seem to phase her. She was back to jumping and singing in seconds.

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Me in Haiti with the girls

A few weeks after this trip the Haiti Outreach Program held it’s annual student sponsorship drive. When I saw her picture with her little orange dress, my heart broke all over again. I wanted to do whatever it would take to make sure this little girl would have a uniform next time she got her picture taken.

It turns out, all it took was a dinner with my family. Everyone saw what an impact my trips to Haiti had made on me, and they were all willing to chip in to make a difference for this little girl. Now I know She’s the First usually talks about rallying your friends behind sponsoring a girl, but sometimes rallying your family works just as well!

Here are my tips for how to start this discussion at the dinner table:

1. Check out the directory and see what school would suit your family best. St. Michel’s school in Boucan Carre made perfect sense for us because I have actually been there. Maybe you have a cousin that does mission work in West Timor and has made you feel connected with Roslin Orphanage. Perhaps you are a family with teenage siblings who might connect to a high school student through the Kenya Education Fund. You should also consider what type of sponsorship you are choosing. Would you prefer a blind donation, or one that allows you to actually interact with the student you are sponsoring?

2. Discuss the budget with your parents and decide how everyone will contribute. Does everyone in the family give up allowance for a few weeks to pay for the sponsorship? You can propose to skip the family-dinner-and-a-movie night to cook together at home and use what you would have spent on a night out. Another great option is to ask for your family to make donations in your honor to celebrate a birthday or other accomplishment, instead of getting traditional gifts.

Madeline's sponsorship certificate for 2010

Madeline's sponsorship certificate for 2010 -- in a pink uniform!

3. Don’t stop at just your immediate family! You can ask aunts and uncles, cousins, and even neighbors to get in on the fun. A larger group might be better equipped to fund a sponsorship at some of the (more expensive) boarding schools. You could even sponsor multiple students as a family! Ask your next-door neighbor to sponsor a student with you, and soon it could become a neighborhood event!

You don’t always have to be a party planner to make a difference in the life of a girl. Sometimes, it just takes a conversation at the dinner table. It’s a great way to get your family together for a good cause and remind everyone to be thankful for what we’ve got. What better way to put a smile on my face in the morning than to see the smile on Madeline’s face hanging on our family fridge?

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Word of Mouth is Powerful — Here's Proof!

Remember how your parents once told you not to talk to strangers? Forget that — do the contrary! I strike up conversations everywhere — dentist waiting rooms, on the B train to work, in the cereal aisle at supermarkets, on airplanes. And twice already, these random encounters have led to great connections for my internship at She’s the First. Try my tactic out yourself. Chances are you’ll be able to successfully spread She’s the First by simple worth of mouth!

Michael Trainer at work. His mission? Create compelling media to support the work of innovative social change agents.

Michael Trainer at work. His mission? Create compelling media to support the work of innovative social change agents.

STF RANDOM CONNECTION #1: Michael Trainer.

How We Met: Last summer when my beloved Blackberry suffered a minor injury (never answer the phone in the shower…), I took it to my local Verizon store praying for a miracle. The man standing behind me had found his Blackberry in disrepair as well and before I knew it we were chatting about the ongoing Berries vs. iPhone battle and everything in between.

What We Talked About: I discovered that he’d damaged his phone on a trip to Kogelo, Kenya, President Obama’s ancestral village home. Michael surveyed villagers’ perspectives on the democracy and change that an African in the White House would bring and got a chance to examine the village’s shift from Africa’s largest slum to a place where Obama’s familial roots lie, while celebrating Obama’s electoral win there with them.

How This Was Special: An honest stranger was recounting to me, another honest stranger, one of the most life-changing events in his life. He was telling me the blueprints of what he wanted to change in the world, how he wanted to do it, and I was listening. All in a Verizon Wireless Store.

The End Result: We casually exchanged information and didn’t talk until long after that. When we happened to find each other on Facebook and LinkedIn, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that Michael is currently the strategic media consultant to the Columbia University Center for International Conflict Resolution and now also director of his own new non-profit, See Change Global, whose mission is “to use innovative media for education and social change; to be a bridge-builder connecting individuals and communities committed to innovative solutions to some of our greatest global challenges.” (Sound familiar? Just like She’s The First!) I email introduced him to our founder Tammy, and we’ll be connecting when he returns from a trip to Africa in mid-July.

STF RANDOM CONNECTION #2: Vera Sullivan.

How We Met: While walking home from work June 10, Vera stumbled upon our red carpet outside of Santos Party House for GIRLS WHO ROCK, and as I was the one holding an official She’s the First clipboard, she waved me down to inquire about our organization.

What We Talked About: As PR intern for our GIRLS WHO ROCK benefit concert, I assisted in backstage production, helped out in the Green Room, and even managed to snag a hug and pictures with lovely performers Kat DeLuna, Shontelle, and Vita Chambers. While these few behind-the-scenes moments made me feel glamorous, it was Vera who made me feel like a rock star! As I told her more and more about our nonprofit, her praise and fascination in an organization she had literally found on the side of the street were heartwarming to say the least.

The End Result: Vera and I scheduled a phone call, and I learned about more about her lifelong commitment to the diversity community. She was the first to do outplacement counseling and diversity placement for the legal profession as President of DiversityForce LLC, a company dedicated to the career advancement of diversity professionals.Vera and I are having lunch together next week!

Who’s the last person you told about She’s the First’s call to action to sponsor girls’ educations? Tell us below!


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“At just the right moment, I light the match.”

Mia Hamm

Mia Hamm

“I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.” -Mia Hamm

Ever since the day I picked up my first soccer ball, it’s been a great passion in my life. I spent nights, weekends, and many holidays traveling with the roughly the same team of girls for about 10 years, one of which is still one of my best friends to this day. For the last few weeks I have been lost in the 2010 South Africa World Cup. It’s absolutely fascinating to me. As I’ve been watching these amazing athletes compete, I’ve been reminiscing a lot about my times as a player.  I learned so much in my time playing soccer, about sportsmanship, perseverance, friendship, and myself. My coaches taught me how to keep going when I thought I had no strength left in my body. My teammates taught me the meaning of friendship, sharing and team work. And then there was Mia.

Mia Hamm (now Mia Garciaparra), my childhood hero, taught me that any adversity could be overcome to achieve whatever your dream you may dream, whether it be winning a world cup in soccer or pursuing higher education (mine ended up being the latter). I will always remember the Mia Hamm poster that I hung in my room as a little girl. I vaguely remember it said something about how she loved orange soda, which I do too. I even chose the number 9 for a while because that was Mia’s number. Every little girl has their heroes, and Mia was mine.

Mia was born with a club foot and had to wear corrective shoes as a child, yet she has scored more international goals than any other US soccer player in history, male or female. She has two Olympic medals and was part of two FIFA women’s world cup championship winning teams. Not only was she a stellar athlete, but Mia, now a mother of twins, is also an author. She wrote a children’s book called “Winners Never Quit,” about the value of sportsmanship and perseverance. She achieved many firsts in her lengthy soccer career and inspired so many young girls to follow their dreams as well. Soccer ended up not being my calling in life, but through the playing of the game I learned so many valuable life lessons that have gotten me to where I am today. So, as I’m intently watching the Chile v. Brasil match on TV, I must say thank you, Mia.

Today, one of my modern day heroes, Queen Rania, has backed the 1Goal campaign promoting the completion of primary schooling by all boys and girls by 2015 AND to ensure that girls have the opportunity for education on all levels by 2015. On October 6th 2009, the 1GOAL campaign kicked off in a satellite-linked ceremony led by the 2010 FIFA World Cup host, South Africa President Jacob Zuma, Her Majesty Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, President of Ghana John Atta Mills, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, President of Spain, Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General and Sepp Blatter, the FIFA President. So far 9,630,974 people have joined. This combines two of my great loves: soccer and promoting education. Through the awareness that the 1Goal campaign receives, perhaps we will be able make significant progress towards the goal of promoting the girls and women’s opportunity for a quality education worldwide.

Hopefully all of you are enjoying the World Cup as much as I am (other than the heartbreaking defeat of the US team the other day!) Happy Maisy Monday!

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Inspiration

Spotted by She's the First intern Sydney Lowe

Spotted by She's the First intern Sydney Lowe on tumblr

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