Top 5 Things We Learned from District Attorney Jackie Lacey
Marian age 18, Addissyn age 17, Ana age 18
On Wednesday, August 6, WriteGirl had the privilege of hearing District Attorney Jackie Lacey speak about her experience as a lawyer and first woman district attorney of Los Angeles. We were inspired and empowered by her words. Here are 5 things we learned.
WriteGirl goes to the White House!
WriteGirl mentor Katie Geyer and mentee Jackie, age 16
WriteGirl mentee Jackie, 16, joined Exec. Dir. Keren Taylor in accepting the National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award from Michelle Obama at the White House in November. Jackie’s mentor Katie Geyer, a photojournalist, was granted a White House press pass to photograph her mentee meeting the first lady! The two were separated for most of the day and each emerged with their own stories. They recently sat down to reflect on that day in November when they were invited inside the White House!
Accio Job! How to Write Your Resume Like a Wiz
Emily, Age 17
WriteGirl Intern
Writing a resume can seem pretty intimidating—after all, as a teen girl, your life probably isn’t filled with tons of cubicle experience. But it’s not nearly as scary as you might think.
Spoiler Alert: You Are a Poet!
You might not realize it yet, but it’s true. Here are some writing tips for unleashing your inner Maya Angelou.
Wingless & Free: Poetry by a WriteGirl Teen
It's time for our annual Poetry Drive! We'll be sharing original poetry written by our teen girls. Today, a poem about bravery...
… written by one of our talented and wonderfully unique WriteGirl teens! Want a custom poem? Get a girl power-themed poem for your favorite niece, or a go-get-'em poem for that recent grad.
Inspiring Women: Christiane Amanpour
Blog post for Women’s History Month written by WriteGirl mentee Jackie, 12th grade.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to travel around the world. But not in the usual sense: I didn’t dream of five-star hotels or hyped-up restaurants. I wanted to be in the midst of it: to take in the culture and really connect with the people of that specific country. And Christiane Amanpour represented that dream for me.
Inspiring Women: Malala Yousafzai
Blog post for Women’s History Month written by WriteGirl mentee Amanda, Age 16.
“They thought that the bullet would silence us, but they failed. The terrorists thought that they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life, except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born.”
If you aren’t acquainted with the speaker of these fiery words, the wise, 16-year-old Pakistani teen cloaked in vibrant hijabs and shawls of courage, then I am glad to introduce you. Malala Yousafzai, who, in 2012, was shot point blank in the head on her school bus by the Taliban for standing up for her right to education, was never weakened by the violent attack against her. If anything, the shooting empowered her.
In Her Own Words: If I Were A WriteGirl
Essay written by WriteGirl mentee Janel, 12th grade:
Three years ago, if anyone had asked me to read my poetry aloud in front of an audience, I would have laughed and politely declined. I was hardly comfortable sharing my written work with others, let alone getting up on a stage and performing the poetry I had scribbled into my journal and tucked away for safekeeping.
This all changed when I joined WriteGirl.
Hello World! A Mentor/Mentee Interview
Carly Pandza (mentor, 25) and Zoe C. (mentee, 18) have been a mentor/mentee pair with WriteGirl since February 2012. They meet once a week and at monthly genre-specific writing workshops. They meet for about an hour and do all sorts of writing from poetry to short stories.
In honor of National Mentoring Month, they decided to interview one another about their personal experiences and opinions as writers and as a mentor/mentee pair. This is their interview.
In Her Own Words: Doing the Write Thing
Essay by Jacqueline Uy:
"Back in elementary school, there was always that one kid who, when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, would say, 'I want to be president.' That kid was me.
But as I got older I realized that what I really wanted to become was a journalist, specifically a foreign correspondent. Even with this, I never really thought that I would ever step foot in the White House, much less meet first lady Michelle Obama. So when the opportunity to do both arose, I reacted like any normal 16-year-old in my situation: I didn’t believe it."
Room for More Dreamers
Blog post written by WriteGirl Mentee Amanda, 11th grade:
"A year ago, Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teenage girl, was shot by the Taliban for standing up for girls' education, and, against all odds, she survived. Malala’s story sparked a fire that burns across my horizons with the plum passion of a dragon hearth and tenderness of a soft lighted candle."
WriteGirl Season 12 Highlights and Slideshow
For the past nine months, our girls have taken part in a jam-packed schedule filled with creative writing workshops, led by some of the most influential female writers in the community. With the guidance of these spectacular writers, our girls put their pens to the page and wrote songs, poems, short stories, and scenes. They blogged, they polished their public speaking skills, and they wrote custom Father’s Day poems for our WriteOn! Campaign. They expressed themselves creatively, and formed special bonds with their mentors through weekly meetings.
WriteGirl College Intern Profiles
Summer Internship Program Flourishes at WriteGirl
We are so incredibly proud of our WriteGirl interns. We are in awe of their professionalism, can-do attitudes and camaraderie.
Two Sides to Every Mirror
Writing Experiment:They say that nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Look back on your life. Choose a seemingly negative experience and turn it around so that you find something positive about it: whether it was a lesson or an insight into something new. It doesn’t matter how small, write about how it has impacted your life.
Spilling the Beans with WriteGirl Interns
There are many opportunities presented to us as interns at the WriteGirl office and participating in skill-building workshops is one of them. We love the workshops that we’ve had here at WriteGirl with Liz Prescott. She brings a unique perspective to the office and is happy to share her knowledge with all the interns.
Made to Order – Custom Poem
Check out this custom poem written by a WriteGirl teen for Jane Anderson, a WriteGirl volunteer and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, during last year’s campaign.
Skylight Books Public Reading for WriteGirl
Skylight Bookstore, located on 1818 North Vermont, was the host for a WriteGirl public reading on Saturday, March 23rd. Many girls attended this wonderful event to hear each other recite their pieces. Girls took to the stage and spoke in front of many parents, passersby, and WriteGirl members, some of them doing a WriteGirl reading for the first time!
