Awareness and representation matter. I have really taken this lesson to heart while interning at Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital, a nonprofit, leadership development organization for girls. The Girl Scouts’ mission is to “build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”
As a public relations intern, my tasks mainly include creating graphics for Girl Scouts’ social media platforms describing service projects that won a Gold Award — the highest achievement for a Girl Scout — through the Girls the World Needs campaign.
Whether they were teaching a class on the importance of mental health or coordinating camp events that promoted a healthy lifestyle, these girls had an impact on those around them. Reading about these award-winning projects taught me how vital it is that we raise awareness of Girl Scouts’ incredible achievements and recognize them for developing projects that benefit their communities.
Women are underrepresented in many sectors of society. While we as a nation have made great strides to address this issue, we have more progress to make. Through Girl Scouts, girls have the opportunity to experience many life-changing events. Whether they discover their love for STEM through a course or take an interest in becoming a public servant after serving as a congressional aide, these girls all have great potential.
The Girl Scouts are helping to raise the girls and young women the world needs. Seeing the ambition within each of the young women who have earned the Gold Award gives me hope for the future and inspires me to be a woman who can empower others.
Jennifer Garcia is a Cisneros Scholar majoring in English and Political Science. Jennifer's views are her own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.
Originally published at Vanguard Communications on July 24, 2019
Photo Credit: Vanguard Communications