Keep Calm and Play On

Sophia Barnhart, our Summer 2014 Communications Intern, writes about her passion for soccer and competition. She sheds light on the gendered biases that exist within athletics, and she encourages us all to pursue what makes us happy to overcome these biases.

It’s no secret—I’ve always loved the thrill of competing. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have parents that supported my drive and encouraged me to play sports. I dabbled in many—softball, gymnastics, swimming, and tennis—but I wasn’t able to satisfy my passion for competition until I tried soccer. From learning how to kick a …

Being Brave Around the World

Juli Velez, our New York Outreach Intern, writes about taking risks and embracing change. She shares with us how traveling has given her invaluable experiences that have shaped her into the brave young woman she is today.

When you move to a new city it becomes routine to have generic, “get to know you” conversations with strangers, old friends, and new roommates as you attempt to create a new home for yourself. Some exchanges become more meaningful than others, but all allow you to navigate through the unfamiliarity of a new environment. …

The Best Failures

15-year-old blogger Melissa Mark explains that failure doesn’t always mean that you didn’t do your best or that you didn’t work hard.

“You’ve got this, Melissa, you’re going to be awesome,” my teammates say as they walk by me. I’m standing behind the starting block getting ready for my race. My goggles as well as my cap are on. I’ve done my ritual dance, listened to my pre-meet music, and completed my mental exercises. I’m all set. …

Thoughts From a Recovering Overachiever

This is a guest post by Taryn. Taryn is a 9th grader who lives in California, where she enjoys writing, taking pictures, and watching The O.C.

“I didn’t want anyone to be able to say that there was someone else working harder than I was.” I didn’t say this, but I could have. This quote is from Demi Lovato, a Disney TV star and singer who recently got out of rehab for “eating disorder and emotional issues,” speaking in the most …

So, what are you going to do after you graduate?” As a junior in college majoring in the liberal arts, this question plagues me on a weekly basis. By this point in my college career, I have a few standard responses. The hopeful: “I’m going to make cultural change.” The indignant: “I’m going to do …

When people told me that post-college life would be difficult, I believed them. I just didn’t believe that it would be difficult for me. I graduated from Smith College on May 17th 2010. I moved back home to Harlem and my mother’s couch ready for the next phase of my life. It’s August 2010 and …

When asked to write an article in tandem with my mother about how the college application and selection process affected us both, my initial reaction was something like, “What is there to say? That was so not a big deal.”  The whole thing seemed so four months ago. But then I quickly remembered that I’d …

It’s hard to believe I started my first GLI camp experience just one week ago. It started with four days of intense training. I admittedly thought we would be spending our days sitting around going over important guidelines and schedules for camp. However, I was pleasantly surprised to begin our first meeting with an emotional …