Hello, my name is Diana Tiburcio and I am a Junior at Great Valley High School. I attended the Girls in Action Summit and am so grateful for this remarkable experience. The day was filled with fun yet educational activities that allowed young girls like me to become more informed about the issues in our communities and how local organizations combat these problems. It also showed me that girls my age can become leaders and make a change in the world. Here are some key takeaways from my Summit experience:

Meeting new people is enriching and allows me to expand my network

The event began with a panel of four empowered women who have become leaders in their communities. It was amazing to see and meet women who had not only discovered and pursued their passions, but helped their communities in the process. It was also incredible to see how all these women had gone through their own experiences and hardships to get to where they are today. It showed me that I will be able to succeed but must be patient and keep working hard to achieve my goals.

My voice matters and I will use it to help others

In our small groups, we learned from non-profit leaders about mental health, the struggles of being a single mother while still trying to get an education, contraception, sexual violence, and the lack of youth empowerment. We briefly speak about these issues in my school, but being able to gain more knowledge and understanding about them was an eye-opening experience. Many times adults do not believe that youth are mature enough to handle the reality of the world. CCFWG realized that girls my age do care about these problems and do want to help. I discovered organizations in my community and ways I can get involved to combat the issues impacting the community. Our voice and opinions do matter and we should work together to make the world better.

Teamwork and collaboration are crucial for important decision making

During the grantmaking part of the Summit, we had to work as a group and discuss the different aspects of each organization and the issues they were addressing to make a final funding decision. This was a difficult choice because all organizations were doing amazing things, but as a group, we were able to come to an agreement. Having to choose only two organizations allowed me to see how crucial it is to analyze every aspect of a situation. This experience not only prepared us to be better members of our community, but it also showed us the power and importance of teamwork and inclusion.

I can make a change in my community

One last thing that made this experience so valuable was the opportunity to meet so many incredible student leaders in my community. All the girls I met have amazing aspirations to help their community. Now I have even more hope for the future because with this event, a fire was lit in my heart, as I think it was for many of the girls who attended. And we can use this fire as a catalyst of change for a better future.