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Meet Jasmine: A Mother’s Girls Inc. Story
My daughter, Brielle, has been part of the Girls Inc. family for many, many years. Looking back, I can measure her participation by her Girls Inc. T-shirts. They’re like receipts of a childhood filled with opportunity.
She started with Bedtime Stories with Mr. Eric, then moved on to STEM in a Box, STEAM Camp, Summer Strong, Smart-Ups, and now she’s been part of Eureka and the Eureka Council. Every year, she comes home with new knowledge, new friendships, and stories about experiences she’s going to remember for a lifetime. Honestly, sometimes I look at the curriculum and think, “Wow, I want to learn that, too.”
This summer alone, these young women have explored leadership, advocacy, academic readiness, emotional wellness, nutrition, engineering, environmentalism, body health, data science, community service, and career exploration. And this is just a summer camp, but I’d argue it’s so much more than that. Girls Inc. is preparing these girls and young women for life.
There’s a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. I believe that’s especially true when raising confident, compassionate, and courageous young women, and Girls Inc. has become part of our village.
Belle isn’t even the first person in our family to benefit from Girls Inc. Her older sister participated in a year-long Girls Inc. program focused on college preparation and career exploration while she was in high school. Through that program, she visited universities, heard from incredible leaders across our community, and completed an externship with an environmental engineering company.
Afterward, she came home and said, “Mom, I love the people. I really love the lunches and the snacks, but I couldn’t do this as a career.”
Later, she was placed in the quality control department at a medical device company, and everything changed. She discovered biomedical engineering, and that experience helped shape her future. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and Innovation. Today, she works for Boston Scientific.
One of the greatest gifts Girls Inc. gave her wasn’t just the opportunity to discover what she loved, it also gave her permission to discover what she didn’t love. And sometimes, especially as a parent, that’s just as valuable.
Now I watch Brielle continue to grow. She’s being exposed to so many new ideas and possibilities, whether she’s learning about STEM and unexpected careers, analyzing data, practicing self-advocacy, making healthy choices at home, or making blankets for families in need. Every experience is helping shape the woman she’s becoming.
That’s what Eureka is about, not deciding who girls are but helping them discover who they will become. As a parent, that’s an incredible gift.
What also gives me hope is knowing that Girls Inc. doesn’t simply end when camp is over. Programs like the Eureka Council continue through the years, and my older daughter had mentors through Girls Inc. who supported her all the way through college. That lasting sense of community truly matters.
My hope is that Belle, and all of you, will continue building these lifelong friendships. I hope you’ll always know that you have women in your corner who believe in you, challenge you, and remind you of your worth.
I also love that Girls Inc. teaches these girls that success isn’t just about what you achieve—it’s about what you give back. During Eureka this past academic year, the girls made blankets for families in need. It was such a beautiful lesson because it showed them that leadership isn’t just about standing in front of people, it’s also about serving others. Girls Inc. is teaching our daughters that every day.
To every young woman here today, I want to leave you with this:
Each of you has been given gifts, beautiful talents, and what I like to call golden nuggets, the unique strengths that only you possess. The lessons you’ve learned here, through these activities and projects, are now part of your toolkit. You’ll carry those golden nuggets with you through school, college, your career, your family, and your community.
I challenge you to use those gifts. Use your voice. Lead with courage. Stay curious. Lift other girls up as you climb.
Never underestimate the impact you can make, even at your age. One day, you’ll look back and realize this wasn’t just a camp, it was an experience that helped shape your future.
To the Girls Inc. staff, Jasmine, Marley, Nayeli, Wendy, and everyone working behind the scenes, thank you so very much for investing in our daughters, believing in them before many of them believed in themselves, and for being such an important part of our village.
Girls, look around you today. Everybody here is part of your village. Everybody here believes in you. Every single person here wants to see you succeed.
Never forget that you have people cheering you on.
Thank you.
