Intel for Change - Smart Girls = Smart World

I am a senior at Emory University with concentrations in political science and gender studies, from Pembroke Pines Florida. My parents immigrated to the United States from Haiti, and I was raised to understand the value of education. Being able to wake up every day and imagine a beautiful future is something I treasure. Millions of girls go through life every day knowing that their tomorrow may not be brighter than their yesterday. Education allows girls to create a sustainable future and use the gifts and talents they’ve been given to impact the world. Through education, girls have a gateway to connect with the world surrounding them.

I have just finished my freshman year at University of Delaware, majoring in Public Policy with a minor Economics. Growing up on a Naval base, I was used to a culture where boys are always put first. However, I was also raised by strong women to be a strong woman. Getting married early or skipping class wasn’t an option. I cannot imagine growing up never knowing that school was an option, never being told that I was intelligent, never being encouraged to further myself beyond the bounds of my village. I want to show girls around the world that they can live up to their full potential.

I am a Brazilian-American junior at Stanford University majoring in Product Design Engineering with an emphasis on social entrepreneurship and design with the developing world. In the future, girls and boys will have equal access to education and I want to be a part of the movement that propelled that forward. Education equips girls with the chance to be independent of an early marriage and the power to better manage their household, community and careers. If a girl grows up surrounded by role models because her mother and grandmother both had an education, then she will have a greater capacity to aspire. We should share stories of success so that girls everywhere create a dense and continuous network of well-being and opportunity for all.

18 out of the 21 years of my life have been spent in education. Growing up, I’ve seen my girl friends achieve tremendous success. One is currently studying to be a pediatrician and another is creating a non-profit organization after graduation. Girls are amazing, but if my friends and I weren’t given an education, I’m not sure where we would be right now. And this is exactly what’s happening in many developing countries; girls suffer from an unequal access to education. However, we can change that and empower girls, providing them with opportunities to excel and better their lives.

Being born in St. Petersburg, Russia, raised in Turkmenistan, having an Indian name, knowing four languages, and now considering the United States of America as my home, I see myself as international persona. I am majoring in International Relations, concentration – Development, specialization – Middle East. As part of this program I promise to inspire young girls in India and the U.S. to get an education; organize awareness meetings; engage to support a cause; and unify like-minded people for new ideas. I hope to learn about the challenges others are facing (cultural, political, or economic), nourish my learning that will help my future career in fighting for women’s rights in Central Asia.

I am a junior studying Biochemistry at Arizona State University and an aspiring physician. I currently lead a venture called Data Driven Health, a social network for behavioral health researchers, am co-creator of Barrett Radio, and editor-in-chief of The Science and Society in Review. I want to help bridge the gap between research and practical application and have a passion for sharing knowledge. I plan to use my community building skills to help girls’ gain access to education, which is the single most powerful way to address gender‑based discrimination.

I am a sophomore at NYU majoring in Finance and Global Business with a minor in Social Entrepreneurship. I have a deep interest in learning about social issues around the world, specifically education. Over the years, I have involved myself in a lot of community, youth, and education development activities. I have learned that education is a launching pad that closes inequality gaps and empowers youth to reach new goals. I believe it’s time to give the gift of education back in a bigger and better way.

I’m a student, activist and youth educator about to enter my final year at the University of Michigan-Flint, pursuing BAs in both Anthropology and Communications with minors in Women’s & Gender Studies and Global Studies. I strive to blur the line between activism and education by working with “at risk youth” to challenge systems of oppression based on gender, poverty, and race. I know that in a global economy access to information is access to power and that if we can give girls access to information we can give them the power to change the world.

When people imagine third world countries, they often think of poverty, disease, and pain. But after traveling to my homeland of Ghana in 2011, I saw something different. I saw girls that were full of life; girls who had the biggest hearts and most beautiful smiles despite their circumstances. But I also saw girls held back because of family pressures and hurdles. Ghana helped me realize how beautiful girls all around the world are. I now feel compelled to make a difference—to make sure that every girl has access to a brighter future through education.