Growing up in a military family, I have seen the effects of war firsthand. And though battles happen overseas, there are also so many fights people need to face here in our own country.
I have been impacted by the recession, with my mother facing unemployment for part of my life. I have been discriminated against as a young black woman and have stressed over being unable to afford higher education. In these moments, I would often wonder if anyone else was going through the same things as me, and that's what inspired me to get into the non-profit space.I have been impacted by the recession, with my mother facing unemployment for part of my life. I have been discriminated against as a young black woman and have stressed over being unable to afford higher education. In these moments, I would often wonder if anyone else was going through the same things as me, and that's what inspired me to get into the non-profit space.
In 2016, when I was 18, I founded a national 501(c)(3) youth-led organization called YesSheCanCampaign that empowers girls who are overcoming adversity while striving to complete their education. Our organization uses live events and technology to provide educational resources and professional development to youth nationwide.
YesSheCanCampaign started as an Instagram account. Within four months of launching the account, I started receiving emails from people across the country, asking me how they could get involved with my mission. That's when I developed a national team of high school and college students who were overcoming adversity to get through school, and then supplied them with programs to give them the support they needed.
Through our innovative programs, we provide girls with resources and opportunities to ensure they can continue to reach their goals despite the obstacles they may face. Since our founding, we have volunteered 10,000+ hours, reached 2,000+ students, won five national awards and one international award. In July 2019, we became a Princess Diana Award 2019 Holder, which is the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts.
Now, I'm a senior at The George Washington University and will be graduating in the spring of 2020. Even though so much has changed, I still know how important it is for us all to fight for girls' futures because everyone should have the opportunities and resources to accomplish their goals. As former First Lady Michelle Obama once said: “When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.” I will continue to keep that door open and fight for our future.
And I'm not the only one fighting. Here's what some IRL girls have to say about school and their struggles...
"I faced obstacles detrimental to my education at a young age. At 5 years old, I was a victim of sexual assault by a family member. At the time, I was living in a toxic environment and my only escape was school. I knew from a young age that my education was my salvation, and that's why I am using it today to help other girls who might have walked in my shoes." —Malicka A Barro, 21
"My whole life, I have had a love-hate relationship with school. I love having the privilege of getting an education and learning new things; however, it hasn't always been easy.
When I first began kindergarten, my school district found out that I came from an immigrant background and spoke another language at home. Because of this, they decided to put me in a literacy program, even though I spoke and wrote in perfect English. Since then, I have faced various situations in which people have diminished my capabilities within the school system given my background.
Today, I am fighting a financial aid battle because I cannot afford to attend my current university (it has one of the most expensive costs of attendance). It has been a journey to realize that what you are promised is not always what you will receive. More than 98 million adolescent girls around the world are out of school. Communities and families don't know how much the world can change by truly believing in girls and educating them. I continue to fight so that I can support girls like me, girls who are going to change the world for the better." —Gabrielle Bello, 19
"The biggest obstacle I've had to overcome in class has been learning to let myself fail. I used to be really hard on myself when I didn't get a perfect test grade. However, as time has gone on, I have learned to appreciate how valuable making mistakes can be. Now, when I take a misstep, rather than getting upset, I work to understand the material that I couldn't comprehend initially. My education has now become less about answering the fastest or getting the top test score. Instead, my education has become about enjoying what I am learning and appreciating how lucky I am to have the opportunity to get an education." —Avery Elizabeth Bowen, 18
"I grew up as a military kid. My father would go away for a few days, months, or even two years at a time. The stress of not having my dad around affected the way I performed in school. My mother was still around, but she worked full time and could only give me so much of her spare time. Still, I never gave up on trying to solve problems in school. I knew that education fueled knowledge and that knowledge gives you the power to use your voice to stand up for what you believe in." —Chris-Tina Middlebrooks, 14
“Not wanting my zip code to define my worth, I pursued higher education to empower both my family and myself. Earning my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public health will not only be a personal achievement — it also serves as a mechanism to encourage others from my community to pursue their dreams.” —Asia Jones, 21
"My family moved from Hsinchu, Taiwan to Vancouver, WA when I was five years old. Growing up, I constantly grappled with maintaining my dual identities as Yu Hsuan at home and Ashley at school. As a child, I constantly wondered why my parents had accents, why my Mom never made PB&Js for lunch, and why I was so different from the kids around me. As I got older, this translated into some brutal conversations around the different values of two cultures I call my own. For years, 'overcoming' these challenges was my goal. It wasn't until high school that I realized it's not about overcoming my identity, but rather that I need to embrace it to take the next step forward. I have been privileged and lucky to have met countless phenomenal teachers and had access to quality cross-cultural learning experiences that have shaped my understanding of myself and the world. I am forever grateful for the role education has played in my life." —Ashley Lin, 16
"Being a first-generation student feels like you're walking on a rocky road alone. Not really knowing what's the right thing to do and what’s not, questioning if I’m making the right decisions for myself, and even little things like choosing the right classes for my semester can stress me out. Every class is a new level of uncertainty and having to push past my fears of letting my family down. I know how important my education is, which is why I put myself through school, but it can feel like it's a lot on my shoulders. I work hard to keep my bills paid so I can study hard to stay in school and, even though it’s tiring, the end-goal is all worth the work." —Tatiyana Stubbs, 20
“In order to reach my goals in school, I had to be able to adapt to anything and everything. As each school year passed and classes grew more difficult, I would have to push through my exhaustion and work on my time management skills to maintain good grades. Education is very important because it allows us to learn about the world around us to better ourselves and the decisions that we make." —Zakiya Johnson, 16
"Balancing my life inside and outside of school was definitely a challenge that I struggled with. I was constantly dealing with the pressure from teachers, parents, and society in general. As high school students, we often feel compelled to emulate this golden persona of what a *well-rounded, all-American, eligible for college* student looks like. I discovered that there really was no correct way to prioritize everything and I needed to figure out what worked best for me. Education is extremely important as it allows us to develop the knowledge necessary for understanding different perspectives on various subjects, giving us the potential to solve global challenges. No matter what happens, you will always have your education because no one can take that away from you." —Harlem Moore, 16
"Being a first-generation student comes with a lot of obstacles. In order to reach my goals in school, I had to go out and seek help with every single thing pertaining to my college application because my parents couldn’t understand. Getting money for school was one of the biggest obstacles I faced. I really thought I had to give up on my dream of ever going to college. I had to fight to find ways to pay for my school and, luckily, I received a scholarship that helped me to at least start college and now I’m in my third year. I think education is important because the wisdom and knowledge we receive are used to make big impacts and change the world."" —Lycinda, 20
Zaniya Lewis is the Founder/CEO and Executive Director of YesSheCanCampaign. She is a writer, activist, speaker, designer, and entrepreneur. Zaniya is a senior at The George Washington University majoring in Political Science with a minor in Human Services and Social Justice. Zaniya is currently a Steven and Diane Robinson Knapp Fellow and she has started a new program with her organization to research how schools in America can improve their college and career readiness programs. She is a three-time Taco Bell Foundation Live Mas Scholar.
