For the past several weeks my social media feed has been inundated with first day of school photos. These cute kids with their happy smiles and toothless grins, spotless uniforms and stuffed backpacks, nervous eyes and tight grips, provided a daily dose of delight for me. And if the number of likes and comments that the photos received are an indication, countless other hearts were equally warmed.
Now that the last of our children are off to the classroom and the photos have dwindled, Step Up is preparing to launch our after-school programs for teen girls in schools in New York, Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles. I’m beyond excited for the teen girls who will enjoy a curriculum built on social emotional learning and all that the year ahead will bring to them. My teenage years are further behind me than I am willing to admit, and they are getting more difficult to recall. Much easier to remember are the women who were there in front setting an example for me, or behind me pushing me to be my best, or beside me holding my hand as I made my journey through high school and into college.
These women were teachers, librarians, musicians, homemakers, receptionists, office managers, clerks, florists, cooks and nurses. They were my aunts, cousins, church members, friends, neighbors, educators and of course my own mother. I don’t believe any of them would have considered herself a mentor. But they were role models and informal mentors nonetheless. They were among the “villagers” that contributed along the way to the amazing career that led to my current role as CEO of Step Up.
I was fortunate to live in a small town on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, where our class sizes were small, and my small community worshipped, worked, and played in very close proximity. This kind of community helped to build my confidence, made certain I was college-ready and career-focused. It’s clear to me that in this regard, I had a certain amount of privilege that is not afforded to many girls—especially girls from under-resourced communities and schools. Large class sizes, resource limited communities, household income, ethnicity, under-funded schools and access to social capital are all factors that can limit opportunity for all girls to achieve their full potential.
As we send our students off to school this year, are we confident that they will have the scaffolding that will help them to have not only a successful year in the classroom but one that prepares them for all that is to come afterwards? And if we are confident about this for our own children, do we not believe that every child, especially every girl deserves the same?
I believe such outcomes are possible, but for the vast majority of our students, their schools are ill-equipped to deliver on such a promise. Organizations like Step Up are stepping up (pun intended) to make sure every girl has the opportunity realize her full potential.
As Step Up’s new CEO, I ask you to help us commemorate our favorite time of year – back-to-school season – by supporting girls with a donation to Step Up. Our long-time supporters at the Plum Spring Foundation have made a $25,000 gift to kick off our back-to-school season and will match every donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to an additional $25,000.
It is only with support from individuals like you that we can ensure girls are prepared for the future.
Back-to-School!
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