The summer of 2021 was the beginning of a big change in my life. Not only was it the beginning of the world reopening after the COVID lockdown but also the beginning of my time at Girls Inc. In the past 4 years as a member of the Eureka! program, I have been able to experience summer camps at UAlbany, exploring my interest in various STEM fields along the way. During summer internships, I learned in-depth about agriculture and got to experience graduate-level research in physics fields. As a part of the National Teen Advocacy Council, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC and lobby to representatives which was an amazing opportunity to make real change in my community and bettering the lives of girls around the nation.

Although this is just the highlight of what my time at Girls Inc. has allowed me to experience, its broadness and variety are the very reasons it has been so impactful. The opportunities that being a part of Girls Inc. has given me and the doors it has opened for me, are ones I could have never imagined 4 years ago. Girls Inc. truly became a safe and trusting environment where I was able to share ideas freely and discuss new topics. It has opened my eyes to the college experience, and what it means to find a place where I belong. That summer before my freshman year of high school, I was able to find a community and a group of people who have supported me ever since.