"so many doors have opened for me because of the risks I took as an 18 year old high school graduate."
Why We Love Stephanie Begun: She has been volunteering at Girls Inc. since April 2008; although she started out in the Youth Center, she has spent most of her time with our teens. LaRae, one of our Community Educators, states, "I've had the pleasure of working with Stephanie in the summer session of Mi Avenida as well as in the Fall Session 1, Politically Correct class. She contributed a great deal of insight and knowledge to not only make the classes more informative but enjoyable as well. She is very likeable and easy to get along with and you can tell she wants to be here working with our girls. She is not overbearing, communicates effectively and contributes relevant matter to the class session. She is not judgmental and appreciates and values the perspective of those younger than her, which I believe is a great asset for a volunteer to have in order to contribute to Girls Inc.'s overall mission."
Who's The STRONGest Person You Know: When I was in middle school, I lost my very best friend, Amanda, to bone cancer. She was incredibly brave and optimistic throughout her battle, and she has forever inspired me to be STRONG, SMART AND BOLD in my own way. Learning from her example, I am often reminded of how much a young woman is capable of enduring, and the teens I work with here are no exception--I think they are frequently faced with great challenges and I'm so impressed by how they successfully manage the things that are thrown at them!
What's The SMARTest Thing You Have Ever Heard: Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I think it's simple, but brilliant.
What's The BOLDest Thing You Have Ever Done: I chose a college where I knew no one, very far from home, and with a higher degree of diversity in every respect than I had ever seen while growing up. It was also very expensive for me, particularly with all of the loans I had to assume in order to go. Despite having to work very hard and some very difficult times along the way, it was the greatest decision of my life--I met amazing people, got a high quality education, and so many doors have opened for me because of the risks I took as an 18 year old high school graduate. I don't regret one thing about it!
