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GIRLS INC. OF METRO DENVER HONORS EIGHT YOUNG WOMEN WITH SCHOLARSHIPS FOR BEING ‘STRONG, SMART AND BOLD’
Scholarship winners to be celebrated Aug. 10-14 during first-ever Virtual My Bold Future Event
July 7, 2020 (Denver) – As the organization has done for the past 37 years, Girls Inc. of Metro Denver will honor eight girls for being strong, smart and bold and three Champions for Girls at their annual My Bold Future Event, taking place virtually for the first time this year and sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal and Prologis. From Aug. 10 through 14, Girls Inc. will promote a weeklong virtual campaign to highlight the organization’s mission and work, celebrate the 2020 Girls Inc. Scholarship winners, honor inspiring Champions for Girls and recognize all those who contribute to the mission of Girls Inc.
In line with the organization’s mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, Girls Inc. annually awards over $50,000 in scholarships to girls aged 14 through 20 to financially support their plans for future education and enrichment. This year’s recipients are a group of impressive young women who each embody the strong, smart, and bold characteristics of a Girls Inc. Girl, leading among their peers, advocating for change in their communities, and showing resilience in the face of challenges.
During the weeklong virtual campaign associated with My Bold Future, guests will join a community of supporters committed to helping girls overcome barriers to success and achieve their goals. Daily video content highlighting girls’ achievements, recognizing local Champions for Girls, and highlighting Girls Inc. programs, partners, and the 2020 scholars will be shared with a goal of celebrating this community and raising funds to support the ongoing work of Girls Inc.
“This year’s My Bold Future theme of stronger, smarter, bolder is an inspiring reminder that during times of profound challenge we have the strength to endure,” said Sonya Ulibarri, President & CEO of Girls Inc. of Metro Denver. “This strength is evident in our 2020 scholarship awardees who are grounded in their resilience and hope for the future. It is also reflected in our Champions for Girls whose commitment to our mission and work has been unwavering. “
Girls Inc. is proud to honor the following individuals at this year’s Virtual My Bold Future Event:
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Teen Leadership Scholars:
Citlali Mares: 16-year-old Citlali has been a Girls Inc. Girl since 2012 and is a current Eureka! Stem program participant. She is also a member of Girls Inc.’s Teen Leadership Board and a community leader passionate about social justice and activism. Citlali previously organized a campaign around her school’s sexist and disproportionate targeting of girls through dress code policies, garnering over 165,000 reactions and nearly 650 student responses. Citlali credits her time at Girls Inc. for teaching her to use her voice “as a weapon against hate and violence.”
Shannon Salcido: A Girls Inc. Girl since the age of five, Shannon is a current Eureka! Stem program participant and a member of the Girls Inc. 4th Year Intern Cohort. She is passionate about community issues include climate change and support adults with special needs. As a Girls Inc. “Eurekan,” Shannon has learned to “take risks and know that every experience will help her grow, prosper, and push her to be the person she is today.”
Kallie Jost: 16-year-old Kallie has been her class president for the past two years and is the Chairwoman in her Student Leadership Class. She is also a member of the Girls Inc. 4th Year Intern Cohort, interning with Lockheed Martin in 2019. Girls Inc. has helped Kallie find her voice, articulate her opinions and complete tasks that further her goals.
Dyan Foss STEM Scholar
Miranda Garibay: 10th grader Miranda has been a Girls Inc. girl since 2012 and is a volunteer New Student Mentor, providing support to new and transfer students. Miranda is driven and dedicated to be the a first-generation college graduate for her family. She credits Girls Inc. for “encouraging her and pushing her to do whatever she wants, letting nothing hold her back just because she is a girl.”
Collegiate Scholar
Iftu Abdi: 18-year-old Iftu is a freshman at Howard University, majoring in International Affairs and minoring in English. Iftu is passionate about education and loves learning and challenging herself. As a founding member of THRIVE, Girls Inc.’s program focused on intentional mental health education, Iftu believes that “strength is seeing and understanding the hardships of life but choosing to keep pushing through.”
Strong, Smart and Bold Scholars
Jessica Valadez-Fraire: High-school senior Jessica is aspiring artist who plans to attend the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design or Metro State University to satisfy her “craving for knowledge and burning passion to create meaningful art.” Jessica previously participated in Girls Inc.’s Think Like a Genius Challenge and helped to create the organization’s THRIVE program focused on the mental health needs of women, trans and femme youth of color.
Cynthia Ortiz: 16-year-old Cynthia intends to be the first in her family to graduate from high school. A student athlete with a strong interest in STEM related courses, Cynthia has plans to go to college and study engineering. She is a leader among her peers and knows that achieving her dreams will be a result of “hard work and dedication.”
Black Fox Scholar
Imanni Thomas: Passionate about being a leader in her community, 16-year-old Imanni loves getting to know others helping those in need. As she looks to the future, she has plans to go to a Historically Black College or University and work towards a Masters degree in theatre and philosophy. She is “so grateful for the struggles she faced that have resulted in her becoming a strong, smart and bold person.”
CHAMPIONS FOR GIRLS HONOREES
Corporate Champion for Girls: USBank
Community Champion for Girls: Office of Children’s Affairs
Individual Champion for Girls: Linda Brisnehan
For more information about the event and to register for free, visit the Event Website.
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About Girls Inc. of Metro Denver
Girls Inc. of Metro Denver (GIMD) inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. They envision a world in which every girl values her whole self, discovers her inner strengths, and achieves her goals. GIMD offers comprehensive programs to a diverse group of over 2,200 elementary, middle, and high school aged girls each year from the Metro Denver area. Through direct service, Girls Inc. of Metro Denver builds safe spaces and fosters long-term mentoring relationships for girls. They advocate with and for girls to shift policies and attitudes so all girls can thrive, open opportunities to girls today, and make our society more equitable for every girl. Girls Inc. girls learn to set and achieve goals, boldly confront challenges, resist peer pressure, see college as attainable, and explore nontraditional fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and lead healthy lifestyles. Learn more at www.girlsincdenver.org.
Photo Credit: Jen Ross Productions