Tag Archives: Jancy

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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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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STF in India: Guest Post by Jancy & Saritha

[Editor's Note: This post was written and photographed by Jancy, Saritha, and Chaithra, three Shanti Bhavan graduates.]

Yesterday the four of us (Jancy, Maheshwari, Shilpa, and Saritha) went to visit Jyoti Nivas College, where we are going to study. It was the first time we traveled by bus alone to Bangalore. It was an interesting experience. A few SB alumni, Chaithra, Kavitha, and Lilly, helped us to fill in the forms for paying the fees for the courses we are going to take.

Here is our photo journal of the day:

This is a picture of us sitting in front of the auditorium.

This is a picture of us sitting in front of the auditorium.

Tada! This is the entrance to the Jyoti Nivas College.

Tada! This is the entrance to the Jyoti Nivas College.

"Yay! This is the auditorium of my college!" says Maheshwari.

"Yay! This is the auditorium of my college!" says Maheshwari.

This is the gigantic auditorium of our college. Saritha can't wait to play the piano while Jancy will sing in the choir.

This is the gigantic auditorium of our college. Saritha can't wait to play the piano while Jancy will sing in the choir.

The building in front of Maheshwari and Shilpa is where we are going to have our classes.

The building in front of Maheshwari and Shilpa is where we are going to have our classes.

Yummy yummy in my tummy tummy.

Yummy yummy in my tummy tummy.

This is a cafeteria of the college.

This is a cafeteria of the college.

This is what we had for lunch in the cafeteria. The waiter gave us four options of dishes for 15 rupees each: rice, poori, plain dosa, and chappati. The picture shows a meal with rice, curry, chutni, yogurt, vegetable salad, and boti (the cylindrical colored things, which are Maheshwari's favorite).

Actually...Jancy doesn't even like coffee.

Actually...Jancy doesn't even like coffee.

Three of us, Saritha, Shilpa and Jancy, sit outside the gates of the college.

Three of us, Saritha, Shilpa and Jancy, sit outside the gates of the college.

Yippeeeeeee...

Yippeeeeeee...

Jancy makes jumping pics seem easy.

Jancy makes jumping pics seem easy.

This is us traveling...alone!

This is us traveling...alone!

To finish things off, here’s a quick video of Jancy and Maheshwari on campus:

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STF in India: Graduation Day!

After days of preparation and celebration, graduation day finally came bright and early — we headed over to the girls’ dorm at six in the morning to help them get ready! The aunties tied saris while the volunteers handled hair and makeup. Despite the early hour, we had music pumping and everyone’s spirits were up. Ashley and Lizzy even pulled off some dance moves while curling Jancy’s hair (not recommended for those of you at home:

(Of course, all photos by the ceaselessly-talented Kate Lord)

Each sari was tied just so. You think you put a lot of work into your graduation-day look? These girls had all hands on deck ensuring every pleat was in place:Someone decided it was OK for me to work on hair (ha), but luckily I didn’t ruin anything. Finally, all the girls were ready and headed over to the school building to meet up with the boys. After an hour of  parents watching anxiously and many congratulatory speeches, the graduates finally took to the stage, one by one, and received their high school diplomas: Finally graduated, the class stands for a photo with Dr. Abraham George, Mariam George, and Ajit George:Afterward, the graduates mingled with their families and had a special lunch, but then most had to pack; half of them started college this week! The goodbye was long and heart-wrenching, with more tears than smiles — but in the end, everyone knew the graduates were off to start the rest of their lives.

(Yes, their van is a converted ambulance. You wish you were this cool.)

 

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STF in India: Our First Day at Shanti Bhavan!

We’ve finally made it to the Shanti Bhavan, and let me tell you: They’re not kidding when they say it means “haven of peace.” Mango grove? Got it. Flowers? Everywhere. Palm trees, paved walkways, puppies? Yep, they’ve got all that, too.

See?

Photo by Kate Lord

Jancy and Prathibha gave us a tour, and were pretty much awesome. Prathibha is a senior this year, while Jancy will be gradating in a few short days!

Photo by Kate Lord

This is the girls’ dormitory, where they both sleep:

Photo by Kate Lord

The main school building consists of two levels of classrooms around a main courtyard, where the kids have assemblies–and where they’ll be graduating later this week.

Photo by Kate Lord

Each grade gets their own classroom, where they stay for the majority of the day (except when they leave for music, art, or lunch!).

Photo by Kate Lord

There are fruits growing everywhere here. These gooseberries grow toward the front of campus, but aren’t ripe–which I learned from Prathibha only after I popped one in my mouth.

Photo by Kate Lord

Also not ripe: This starfruit, which Prathibha picked for me. She likes us though, I swear!

Photo by Kate Lord

On my list to try soon: jackfruit!

Photo by Kate Lord

And behind the teachers’ house where we’re staying, there’s a whole grove of mangoes!

Photo by Kate Lord

Today, all the kids are working hard on prepping for the graduation ceremony. They’ll be performing all kinds of dances, and they’re already looking pretty impressive. Kate and I? Our dance skills could use some serious help…so for now at least, we’re sticking on the sidelines!

Photo by Kate Lord

Tomorrow we’re tagging along on a sari-shopping trip for the graduating girls–stay tuned! (And for those of you leaving questions, we aren’t ignoring you; promise! We’re collecting them all and will answer them in a post soon.)

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GIRLS WHO ROCK 2012: Are You Pumped?!

GIRLS WHO ROCK 2012 is finally here! I’m sure you’ve been hearing about this from all over the Internet, Twitterverse, blogosphere and your Facebook newsfeed and can’t wait to see what it’s all about. So here we go:

This amazing concert will bring together the freshest minds in technology, entertainment and the nonprofit sector to fundraise for girls’ sponsorships in India through She’s the First. The concert will be held this Friday, May 18 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. It’ll be a jam-packed night full of remarkable female artists including American Idol Season 10 finalist Haley Reinhart, whose debut album Listen Up! will be released on May 22nd; Sarah Gregory, of Brooklyn’s Sarah and the Stanleys; Jessica Latshaw, who soared to fame after a video of her performing on the subway went viral; Shin-B, a hip-hop artist who made the world’s first music video with QR codes within the storyline; and mash-up artists The Jane Doze along with emcee Michael Thurber. The evening will feature a special performance by girls at the Park Slope Rock School; under Thurber’s guidance, they composed and recorded an original song dedicated to their peers at Shanti Bhavan.

Thanks to title sponsor umojawa, 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to sponsoring girls at Shanti Bhavan. We’ve gotten to know some of the girls at Shanti Bhavan fairly well in the past 3 years. Jancy, who is now a senior and will be graduating in June, judged the Cupcake T-shirt contest in November 2011 and wants to be a fashion designer. Shilpa Raj is a Shanti Bhavan alum who graduated last year and decided to stay on at the school to teach and work on her memoir The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter. Catherine credits Shanti Bhavan with having taught her how to dream big. All of these girls have bright futures ahead of them, futures they would not have had without the help and support of generous donors.

Through hearing these girls’ stories, it becomes apparent just how important the work done by She’s the First and GIRLS WHO ROCK is. Here is an opportunity for you to get together with your friends, rock out on a Friday night and do something GOOD.

Will you be there? Will you be there to come through for girls like Vyshali, a 5th grader at Shanti Bhavan who contributed the poem featured below to She’s the First’s Voice Your Verse poetry campaign? Will you be there so there are many more girls like Jancy, Shilpa and Catherine, who are able to realize their dreams?

I will be. And I hope you will be too! Get your ticket here to make a difference.

I am…

I am clever, funny and helpful.
I wonder whether I will go to outer space.
I hear my classmates screaming after they finish graduating from college.
I see myself getting medals in my job for doing well.
I want my dreams to be fulfilled.
I am talented, generous and talkative.
I wonder if there is life on Saturn.
I hear the piano playing.
I see myself passing school.
I want to get more knowledge.
I pretend I am an Indian Administrative Services collector.
I wonder whether I will fail.
I cry when I get screamed at.
I am energetic, thoughtful and caring.
I understand others’ feelings.
I say there is God.
I dream of passing school and going to college.
I hope to get more money.
I am hard working, happy and sleepy.

Vyshali
5th grade, Shanti Bhavan Children’s School, India

 

 

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The Voice Your Verse Campaign and Updates from Jancy

Everyone’s aflutter at She’s the First gearing up for our first ever Voice Your Verse poetry campaign. The goal is to compile an anthology of original poetry written by YOU, and 100% of the profits will go toward funding girls’ education. What are you waiting for? Submit your original poems!

Not only will you have the chance to have your work published, but you could win a $500 college scholarship and Chegg for Good is MATCHING that with a $500 scholarship for Jancy, a student we sponsor at Shanti Bhavan!

We were first introduced to Jancy when She’s the First started sponsoring her through funds raised at the She’s the First Soiree held in November 2010. She soon found herself with a network of new friends through the She’s the First Digital Pen Pal program, and this past Fall, she put her passion for art and design to good use by judging the Tie-Dye Cupcake T-Shirt Design contest.

Jancy is now a senior at Shanti Bhavan and will be graduating in June (we’ll be attending!). Though she will miss Shanti Bhavan, she is eagerly looking forward to going to college to study business (and eventually wants to get her MBA). Check out the video below to hear from Jancy herself on her hopes for the future and her reflections on her time spent at Shanti Bhavan.

 

 

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Cupcake Tees and Totes at Shanti Bhavan

Hello World!

My name is Aishwarya and I’ll be the new Shanti Bhavan researcher, reporting on all the great things happening at our partner school in India. I was born in India but raised in the U.S., making me a first generation Indian American. I graduated from the Huntsman Program for International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania and I currently live and work in New York City. Ensuring that females in the developing world have access to education is a cause that is very important to me and I am extremely excited to be joining the She’s the First team!

The proud judge with volunteers Ashley Monroe and Isabel Rutherfurd

Today I bring back an old friend of ours: Remember Jancy? Jancy is a senior at Shanti Bhavan and was chosen to judge the Cupcake T-Shirt Design contest this past Fall. Being the top art student at Shanti Bhavan made her well qualified for the task. Someday, she hopes to be a fashion designer and wants to take business courses in college so she can start her own fashion company. Given how savvy she already is, I wouldn’t be surprised if she were one day running her own fashion empire!

Well it took a while, but here Jancy is receiving her favorite t-shirt pick (designed by Kelsey Thorn, Skidmore College Senior) and tote bag (designed by Krista Firkins, Emerson College Senior).

Jancy receives her "Make a Change Bake a Cupcake" t-shirt designed by Kelsey Thorn of Skidmore College

Jancy's "I'm a Baker, Not a Fighter" Tote by Krista Firkins, an Emerson College Senior

Did any of you pick the same tee? Isn’t it cool to know that all the way in India, Jancy is wearing the same thing?

I look forward to becoming a regular on the She’s the First blog and getting to know you all!

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Meet the Cupcake T-Shirt Contest Judges!

Prizes for 7 contest winners: Besides knowing your shirts are sending girls to school, win this inspiring PB Teen pillow!

Wondering how we’ll possibly choose seven winners from all these cute entries to the She’s the First T-Shirt Design Contest with HerCampus.com? The winning designs will be made onto t-shirts sold in our CustomOrganics.net store, and 100% of the profits will benefit our sponsorship fund for the girls’ at our partner schools! (Winners also get these cute “Change the World” pillows from PBTeen!)

Knowing it would be hard to pick favorites, we asked Annie Wang, Creative Director and Co-Founder at HerCampus.com, and Jancy, the top art student at Shanti Bhavan in India, whom She’s the First sponsors, to judge.

Annie Wang

Up first, we have Annie, one of the co-founders of HerCampus.com and a really talented web designer!  Annie is currently the Creative Director of Her Campus, and if you love their layout like we do, you have Annie to thank for it.  Annie is currently on a leave of absence from Harvard, where she was majoring in Visual and Environmental Studies (she’s definitely qualified to pick out a winning design!), so that she can work at Her Campus full-time.  She’s been named on some pretty prestigious lists in the past year, including Inc. magazines’ ’30 Under 30 Coolest Young Entrepreneurs’ and Glamour‘s ’20 Amazing Young Women.’  To hear more from Annie, you can check out some of the articles she’s written for Her Campus here!

Jancy

Jancy is probably familiar to those of you who have been following She’s the First for awhile now!  Jancy is from India and attends the Shanti Bhavan school there; this year she’ll be a senior.  She is also very qualified to pick a winning design — she’s studying art and hopes to become a fashion designer someday.  Jancy is a big fan of color, so if you haven’t entered your design yet, make sure it’s bold and bright!  In her free time, Jancy likes to draw and to create jewelry,

Remember, you still have almost a week to get your entries in! For full details about the contest and how to enter, check out hercampus.com/cupcakes-contest.  We know we can’t wait to check out your designs, and we’re sure Jancy and Annie feel the same way!

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Jancy’s Reply to Her Channel One News Pen Pals

Jancy with a friend!

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for all of the responses – I was so overwhelmed and excited to hear from all of you!

Things at school are busy.  I am preparing to take my final exams this April before heading home for a month to see my family.  I wish I had time to respond individually to each and every one of you, but in the meantime here are some responses to your questions and comments.

  • My favorite subject is economics!  Economics is so interesting to me because everything that happens in this world is somehow connected to economics.  I hope I have the chance to study it more in college. [see video!]

  • The main subjects I learn at Shanti Bhavan are Accounting, Commerce, Economics, English, and Environmental Education.  These subjects are taught to us by both Indian teachers and volunteers from all over the world.  What are some of the main subjects you all learn in the States?
  • My favorite color to wear is black.  But when I’m doing artwork, I love using red, blue, green and yellow – almost all the colors!

  • Here's what puri looks like!

    I loved hearing about some of your favorite foods, school schedules, and families!  My favorite food to eat is anything my mom makes!  I also love puri, which is a deep-fried Indian bread.

  • At Shanti Bhavan, my daily schedule is like so:  I wake up at 6 AM, and study until 7:30.  We eat breakfast in the dining hall at 8, and classes begin at 8:30.  We have classes until the whole school gathers for assembly at 11:15.  This is where we hear the daily news and announcements.  Here, on Fridays, we sing India’s national anthem, and on Saturdays, the school song. Classes resume after lunch, at 1:20. We have classes until 3:30 in the evening.  We play various games like basketball, soccer, kickball, etc. Dinner is at 7:30. We have study hall before and after dinner
  • In regards to my family, I have two older brothers named Deepak and Pradeep.  We are very close.
  • It looks like a lot of you have musical talents and interesting hobbies.  I myself conduct the school choir and love playing the guitar!  The choir sings many songs you might know – like “Memories” from Cats and “For Good and Hard Times” from Wicked. [see video below!]
  • I saw a few comments indicating that some of you would like to hear more about India.  I can only imagine that India would be a totally new experience for outsiders! I cannot express in words how amazing India is. You have to visit in order to see for yourselves.  India is land of many colors, cultures, festivals, languages and people.  Maybe one day some of you will be able to visit!


I hope to hear from all of you soon.
With love,
Jancy

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Channel One Viewers: Want to Be Jancy’s Pen Pal?

In classrooms across the country, CBS’ Channel One News aired a segment about She’s the First for Women’s History Month! Tammy Tibbetts talked about how students who don’t have dollars to donate can still make an impact by corresponding with the girls we sponsor. Emails are pouring in from students asking where they can begin…it starts here!

To refresh your memory, here is the segment, framed by Jancy’s story and how education transformed her life:

Now here is part of an essay Jancy wrote about her life in India. It was published in The Huffington Post today! This is your task, Channel One viewers! Read Jancy’s story and then in the comments of this blog post, write back with a question, and tell her what your dream is, what your school day is like, or what your family is like. We will send her your notes, publish her response, and then email you when you can leave your next round of comments. Maybe a new friendship will form!

My name is Jancy. I am 16. My mom is a single parent and I have two older brothers. I was born in a small village in the Hassan district of the Karnataka state, in India.

When I was three and a half, I joined Shanti Bhavan, a non-secular residential school for socially and economically disadvantaged children. Shanti Bhavan is a unique institution, where we are given not only a quality education, but taught globally shared values, such as humility, generosity, and acceptance. Joining Shanti Bhavan was perhaps the most significant, life-changing event in my life.

I have stayed at Shanti Bhavan for almost 13 years now, and it is like my second home. Here, I have the biggest family ever; we are all bound by our love for one another. There is something about Shanti Bhavan that is special — almost divine — and difficult to express in words.

Shanti Bhavan is a part of me. Sometimes, I wonder how I am going to handle it when I wake up one morning and realize I have graduated.

After all, it is here that I have learned everything from the alphabets in the English language to the literature of Shakespeare. It is here that I received my first toothbrush, my first warm bed, and my first shampoo. It is where I tasted pancakes for the first time.

All of the students at school are taken care of by our housemothers. Our teaching staff is comprised of Indian teachers, as well as volunteers from various parts of the world and all walks of life, who greatly enrich our education and broaden our perspectives.

We are taught from a very early age not to discriminate against one another. We respect all religions and are free to practice our own. We have the freedom to voice our own opinions. And, furthermore, we are asked to have opinions on world issues.

I am almost a senior now, and grateful to everyone at Shanti Bhavan who continues to inspire me each day to move forward. I am studying Accounting, Economics, and Commerce and preparing to take the ISC exam next year, considered among the most challenging in India.

To me, education is the key to the many doors I want to open. I want to be the first girl in my family to go to college. I want to get my Master’s degree. I want to combine the fields of business and fashion someday. I want to find success to improve the status of my family. I want to continue the Shanti Bhavan dream.

Ready, set, comment! :)

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First Letter from Jancy, Our Sponsored Student in India

[Editor's Note: Jancy was sponsored from fundraising at the She's the First Soiree on November 1st in NYC. We're going to be pen pals, so leave a reply to her in the comments -- we'll pass it along!]

Dear She’s The First,

Jancy, 11th grade at Shanti Bhavan in India

First of all, I want to say that I loved getting to know all about the organization and its wonderful mission.

Well, my name is Jancy and I’m sixteen. My mom is a single parent and I have two older brothers. I was born in a small village in Karnataka (one of the south-Indian states). I feel proud to say that I am the first girl in my family who went to school and learned how to read and write. I am one of the eleven students of eleventh grade at Shanti Bhavan. Shanti Bhavan has been everything for me since the age of three and I love it here. It is here that I first got to have almost everything (some of the things include a warm bed, brushing my teeth with a toothbrush, eating with a spoon, loving peanut butter, etc.) It is here that I had a chance to meet the greatest friends and the most loving family members ever! These experiences just don’t translate. I am really grateful to each and every person/member of the S.B. family, for it is because of them that I am who I am today.

Right now, I study Accounting, Economics, Commerce and Compulsory English and Environmental Education. My aim is to become a fashion designer. However, I have decided to take Business courses in college, for the skills I learn will help me later on in life, when I start my own fashion company.

That was a brief introduction for me, but most importantly, I want your organization to know that I am really grateful for all of your support. I truly appreciate the fact that your organization is with me on my path to success. I hope to meet some of you someday or maybe even exchange letters! Thank you very much and I’m so excited to be a part of your family.

A big hug sent to all you from India.

All my love,
Jancy

P.S. Thank you so much for those sweet messages on my birthday!

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Meet Jancy — Today's Her Birthday! Leave a Greeting!

Jancy, 11th grade at Shanti Bhavan in India

Today we officially meet the girl we sponsored from fundraising at our She’s the First Soiree, our first birthday bash on November 1, 2010. And guess what? TODAY is her 16th birthday!! Learn a little more about Jancy below, and leave a comment to say Happy Birthday!

We will send this post to Jancy (along with the video greeting  from our She’s the First Leadership Summit yesterday) so she feels the love from her She’s the First family.

Name: Jancy Paul Vincent
Grade: 11th
Age: 16
Birthday: January 16, 1995 (happy birthday!)
Background: My native place is Hassan.  But right now, we live in Bangalore.
Siblings: Two older brothers.
Parents’ occupation: My father left when I was about 5 months old. My mom takes care of handicapped children at a school.
Mothers’ education: She studied only until 2nd grade.  She was the eldest and had to help her mom take care of her younger siblings.
Views on Shanti Bhavan: I don’t want to leave Shanti Bhavan.  I feel so safe and secure here.  We are like family!
Favorite subject: Accounting, because I like numbers. It is very satisfying when you get the problem solved.
Childhood aspiration: A singer. (Do you still sing?) Yes.  Everywhere. Including in choir. I’m going to start directing the school choir this year.
Current career goal: Fashion designer.
Hobbies: Drawing, making jewelry, singing, listening to music, reading novels like Harry Potter and Twilight.
Special talents: Art.  Drawing.
Favorite instrument to play: Guitar.
Top three places to visit internationally: England, New York, New Zealand.
Top three places to visit within India: Amritsar, Agra, and Kanyakumari.

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