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Empowering girls

By Aryana Mosaffa, age 15 | March 1, 2020

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TRANSFORMATIVE Aryana Mosaffa, a sophomore at Lamar High School, says the nonprofit Girls Empowerment Network has taught her what she wants the future to look like.

My first encounter with Girls Empowerment Network was when I was 13. I signed up to volunteer at the We Are Girls Conference. The volunteer-training session consisted of learning about the conference, a tour of my own school and unwavering enthusiasm. I was the youngest there – and the only one from my school – but felt welcome.

Soon, the conference arrived. Girls of all ages and backgrounds participated in workshops to teach and empower them. There was nothing but constant cheer from volunteers. There was a session where older girls spoke to adult women about personal topics including advice for the future. The adults were incredibly sweet and sincere. The questions were thought-provoking and resonated. Passion, emotion, and support poured out of everyone’s chest. It was the most cleansing feeling, in a healthy environment.

I’ve volunteered at the conference for a few years and became further involved with Girls Empowerment Network by interning with them last summer. I spent time assisting in the office and occasionally helped create modules that I thought would suit girls my age. Later that summer, we held a summit for high school girls curious about the workforce. That, without a doubt, transformed my life. They taught me how to write resumes, learn about identity, and practice healthy thinking.

Girls Empowerment Network is what I want the future to look like. I’m trying to practice it on my own by making my own girls club at school, called Girls At Lamar (GAL). With the influence of amazing leaders at Girls Empowerment Network, I’ve tried to empower my fellow girls by discussing common issues, mental health and achieving success. This goes to show the power that such an organization can have in our community, pushing women to build each other to be the best that we can be.

Editor’s note: The 2020 We Are Girls Houston Conference will be held April 18 at Hogg Middle School and is designed for girls in grades 3-8 plus parents, educators and mentors. See girlsempowermentnetwork.org.

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