Congratulations to Katie Pleiss, Grand Prize Winner of the Natural Life Give, Love, Laugh Scholarship!
The Natural Life Give, Love, Laugh Scholarship is awarded to a
graduating high school senior who has made a passionate and meaningful impact
in her community, and Katie certainly has! We are so proud of her, and grateful
to be a part of her journey--we know it will take her far. Keep reading for
Katie's bio and see how far she's already come!
"I began my involvement with Girl Talk during my freshman
year. Despite finding new friends and successfully transitioning to high
school, my freshman year was fairly unremarkable; I was not involved in many
clubs and I did not really feel I had a purpose. All of this changed when my
friend, Hanna Meyers, asked for my help starting a Girl Talk Chapter at our
school. Because I felt I needed to join something, I agreed to help, knowing
very little about what Girl Talk entailed. I signed up to be a counselor at
Girl Talk Camp that summer to learn more about the organization and immediately
discovered the passion that I was waiting to find. I saw girls who were once shy radiate
confidence, and all they really needed was love and support. I quickly realized that I needed
to recreate this in my school. Girl
Talk Camp helped me discover a passion I had for helping girls gain the
confidence they deserve.
Sophomore year came quickly, and I started work on the Chapter
right away. By September, we had 20 girls attending regularly. My passion for
female mentorship did not stop there; I joined Teen Advisory Board (TAB) to help Girl Talk grow and to gain
insight from mentors, myself. I also worked with the administration at my
sister’s middle school, Springmont, to extend the Galloway Chapter and mentor
the girls there. My plate was full of Girl Talk activities, but I could see the
impact I was making, which made it all worth it.
By the time senior year came along, my passion for service was
clear. Because of this, the faculty at my school suggested I apply to the
GivingPoint Institute, a social entrepreneurship program where high school
students can learn how to start their own non-profit project. I was
accepted to GivingPoint, and, with Girl Talk as the inspiration, I decided to
start Lead to Learn, a tutoring and mentoring program where high school girls
tutor and mentor middle school girls at public middle schools.
I knew that public schools can be under-resourced, and hoped to
implement a program where girls would get individual attention so that they
could stay motivated to succeed in school and learn to handle difficult social
situations. The project was not easy; it tested my abilities and leadership
skills. However, when we started at Sutton Middle School in January, it was a
quick success. We currently have fifteen girls who attend Lead to Learn weekly
so that they can improve their grades and also gain insight during our
discussions on topics of their choice.
I absolutely love Girl Talk and simply cannot express how grateful
I am to have been apart of this organization. I have been taught so many
valuable leadership skills and have met so many inspiring people during my time
with Girl Talk, and I know this knowledge will stay with me throughout my life."
And, Katie, we are so grateful that you are a part of the Girl
Talk Family! Thank you for sharing your story and inspiring others to find and
follow their passion, serve others, and persevere. We wish you all the best in
your next chapter!
Love,
the Girl Talk Team
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