By Leslie Renner | Director of Ind. Giving & Corp. Partnerships
At Girls Inc., we are committed to bringing the life-changing Girls Inc. Experience to more girls. Jennifer is just one example of the type of girl your gift will be used to inspire. Thank you for being in her corner.
Jennifer, Girls Inc. of Orange County Alumna:
“I know people may try to hurt me, their wrongs will become my obstacles. But I will persevere. I can’t change what happened. But I will change the world for girls, especially my younger sister and other Latinas.”
Jennifer comes from a family where a typical day includes her father working all day and her mother taking care of the laundry, cleaning, and cooking at home, with the expectation that dinner would be on the table when her father arrives home from work. Jennifer got the message from family members that she needed to learn these same skills to get a husband. At Girls Inc., Jennifer recognized the importance of an education and knew she could be a strong female role models for other girls in her family to pursue different careers paths.
In high school, Jennifer began attending Girls Inc., where her eyes were opened to new possibilities and she was exposed to women leaders in everything from law to physics. In addition to new dreams, she received the tools to get there, including how to write a resume, dress professionally, and shake someone’s hand. There, Jennifer also met a female mechanical engineer who shared how engineering can make ideas come to life. Girls Inc. was soon her favorite part of the day.
But the most life-changing experience was one she didn’t predict.
As a teen, she experienced violence – like far too many girls. Initially, Jennifer held it in and blamed herself. It was only after she had attended Girls Inc. for a couple of years that she began to open up, knowing that the staff and other girls would listen and be supportive. Jennifer learned how to value herself, that she deserves respect in relationships and always has the right to be safe. With Girls Inc., Jennifer is healing and has found the strength to not let the past define her future.
Today, Jennifer is the first in her family to go to college. A $20,000 Girls Inc. scholarship recipient, she is a freshman at Cal Poly Pomona studying to be a civil engineer.
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