Our 30×300 Global Giving Night was a huge success! We are 80% of the way to our goal of raising 300 scholarships for high-need girls to attend the We Are Girls Conference, and there’s still time to give!

We were so lucky yesterday to be joined by Arlette & Estephanie, two amazing young women from our programs. They participated in a live streaming interview, and here are some highlights:

On the kinds of issues facing girls today:

Estephanie: “Girls read magazines, and they see these thin models, and they don’t see people that look like themselves. They start to put themselves down and have negative body image, when the girls in magazines aren’t real.”

On the most important or surprising thing to come out of being involved with GENaustin:

Arlette: “I never thought I’d be doing this interview. I didn’t have a lot of females to look up to in my life, and having inspiring women at GENaustin actually listen to me, to talk to me, is one of the most important things to ever happen to me.”

On why GENaustin is important for girls:

Arlette: “Before GENaustin, I had really negative body image. I’d diet, I’d put myself down, but now I’ve learned what real beauty is.”

Estephanie: “Everyone at GENaustin has always been there for me, and they’ve taught me to love myself. We’ve been blessed to have GENaustin in our lives.”

Why scholarships to We Are Girls are so important:

Arlette: “$30 might not seem like a lot, but for some people it is. I don’t know if our family would be able to afford to send us if it wasn’t for the scholarship. So it’s really important for girls who need help.”

On the most important thing learned through GENaustin and We Are Girls:

Estephanie: “Before GENaustin, I never knew I could go to college, that I didn’t just have to have babies. I didn’t know I wasn’t stuck just because I was a girl. We Are Girls gives girls a chance to do more. I feel so powerful now. I know there is more to being a girl than I knew, and I can help other girls, too.”

Thanks so much to Estephanie and Arlette for their interview, and for being so wonderful! Everyone at GENaustin is so lucky to work with them, and many other girls like them. Please help us ensure no girl misses out on the opportunity to realize she is beautiful, important, and capable of great things.

Sponsor a scholarship today.

And thanks so much to everyone who has already given! You are making a life-altering difference in the lives of girls like Arlette and Estephanie.