#FreshmanFriday Kyla's Keys to College

My tip for college freshman is to not be afraid to put yourself out there! 

Go to the organization fairs on campus. Organizations and clubs are one the best ways to meet new friends at your new home! 

Take advantage of the career fairs your school offers, and broaden your scope of potential careers. 

Go to a performance put on by your school’s performing arts department. 

Don’t be afraid to get lost on campus. Some days I purposely got lost on campus so I’d get to know my campus better. 

If you are struggling in a class, utilize your professors’ office hours! They want you to succeed and will be glad that you are taking the initiative to succeed in their class. But if going to your professor is a little too daunting for you, find out if your school has a peer tutoring program. My school had numerous peer tutoring programs facilitated through different departments like the residence halls, the library, and academic services. 

Go ahead and apply for the internship that you don’t think you’ll land. You never know what may happen! 

Overall, make sure you don’t graduate college wishing you hadn’t missed out on some awesome opportunities.

--Kyla Thomas

Meet Kyla!

Name: Kyla Thomas

School: Georgia Southern University

Major/minor/year: Special Education; Sophomore

How did you get involved with GT? I was searching for internships on a job/internship search engine and Girl Talk popped up. I did some research on the organization and knew that interning with them would be a great way to give back to my Atlanta community, so I applied!

What is your best advice for high school girls who will be going to college in the next few years? Don't be afraid to let go of friendships that have run their course. Acknowledge it. Talk about it with the other person. End things respectfully and with love. People outgrow each other, and that's okay. The friendship isn't over. It's just complete.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you aren’t working or studying? I like to have movie nights with my friends. We grab blankets, order pizza, make popcorn, and will watch movies until the last person falls asleep.

Current dream job? I'd like to work for the Board of Education in a struggling area to help provide them with access to better education.

What’s your go-to coffee order? The only coffee I've ever had is a vanilla bean frappe from Starbucks. I don't drink coffee that often.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? The journey is just as important as the destination.

#FreshmanFriday Surviving and Thriving: From High School to College

The Next Chapter:

High school has ended and you are preparing for college. If you are anything like me, you are experiencing so many different feelings; you’re happy, scared, excited, nervous, etc. Trust me, I’ve been there. These emotions are normal. You are beginning a new chapter of your life. Everything you have known until now is changing. You may be moving away for college, or you may be staying home, either way, it’s a big change.

For the first three weeks I went through a rollercoaster of emotions. There were days I didn’t think I could do the whole “college” thing. There were days I wanted to move back home. But then there were days where I knew this place was now home. There were days of exploring my new city and days living in the library. There were tears, but there were even more laughs with new friends who would become “my people” <3. I know it’s scary……. being in a new place, with new people, and being able to do your own thing. You get to learn how to adult! Sometimes it’s not fun, but it’s worth it. It pushes you to learn and grow.

College can be a place of extreme growth. You are surrounded by people of different cultures and beliefs and it makes you take a step back and look inside to find who you are and who you want to be. Maybe high school wasn’t your thing. Maybe you didn’t like who you were in high school. Well now is your chance to be who you want to be. College is a clean slate. It will be hard somedays. Hang in there. Growing pains always come with growth, but in the end what the pain can produce is amazing. 

--Aimee, Girl Talk Intern

Celebrating Aimee's birthday at Girl Talk HQ!
Tiara and cupcakes required.

Meet Aimee!

Name: Aimee Dykes

School: Samford University

Major/minor/year: Business Management and Entrepreneurship Double Major, Senior

How did you get involved with GT? I first met Haley through my mom at the Thirty-One Conference in Atlanta. I fell in love with the mission of Girl Talk and the heart behind it. At that point in time I was transitioning out of high school, so I wasn't able to get involved in a chapter, but I helped where I could.

What made you want to be a Girl Talk Intern? As I mentioned before, I fell in love with the mission of Girl Talk a few years back, and I knew I wanted to help support the organization in any way I could. I also knew that it would be an amazing learning experience about the field I would one day like to go into.

What is your best advice for high school girls who will be going to college in the next few years? Study in high school. If you learn how to study now, it will be a lot easier making the transition into college. Do not be afraid to put yourself out there; whether that means applying to your dream school despite you thinking it's not possible, or maybe it means you don't want to go to a university and instead you go to cosmetology school. Never forget who you are and who you want to become. Do not let others dictate your future.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you aren’t working or studying? My favorite thing to do is explore the city I live in; finding new coffee shops, or eating at a local restaurant, hiking the trails. I love trying new things!

Current dream job? My current dream job is to manage a non-profit that rescues and aids in the healing process of women and children who have been affected by human trafficking. 

What’s your go-to coffee order? For sure a vanilla latte!!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? I know, this may sounds cliche, but I am telling you, if you take this advice to heart, it can be life changing. {Chase your dreams. Sometimes you are the only person with that dream and if you don't make it happen, nobody else will. But here's the thing about dreams -- they will stay dreams, unless you work hard to make them happen. It will be hard somedays, but power through it. What's waiting on the other side of the hard work is something beautiful.}

College-Bound! The Girl Talk Guide to Sorority Recruitment

Hey y’all! My name is Peri, and I am one of Girl Talk’s summer interns! I am here to tell you all about navigating sorority recruitment! But first, let me introduce myself.

I am an Atlanta native, but in 2015 I moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to attend Louisiana State University-- Geaux Tigers! I am majoring in mass communications with a focus in public relations and minoring in business administration, and let me tell you—it is SO FUN. I love being outside, reading, yoga, and basically anything active. You will never find me watching a movie in the middle of the day, it’s just not in my system. In my current season of life, I am navigating what true rest is and what it looks like for me. I’ll let you know when I figure it out! Life sure is sweet, though!

Okay, enough about me--time to talk about sorority life. The summer after graduation, everyone LOVES to talk about recruitment. All the girls gossip about who is going to be in what sorority and which sorority is the best and which is the worst. I am here to tell you that NONE of that matters.

Absolutely nothing about those conversations should deter you from joining the sorority you feel comfortable in. 

Navigating recruitment is weird and awkward! You are putting yourself out there all day every day for a week straight and that is so scary. You will be super sweaty and probably have a few bad conversations- that’s inevitable. If you fit in perfectly and have perfect conversations in every single sorority please, tell me your secret! It is NORMAL to feel more connected to certain sororities than others- that’s the point. You are trying to find your home for the next four years, not just girls to party with. 

When you’re talking to the girls in line and the girls inside the house always think to yourself, “Could I do life with this person?” or “Would this person support me through a hard time?”. When you really feel like you know the answer to those questions, it will make it so much easier to make a decision if you’re feeling torn between a few houses. I also want to encourage you to keep an open mind. Don’t listen to girls in your group or girls from your hometown. This experience is for YOU and only you! Don’t let anyone steer you in the direction they think is where you need to be. This is your decision, no one else’s. In fact, the only people I talked to about which houses I liked/didn’t like were my Young Life Leaders and my mom. Talk to people that truly have your best interests in mind. Recruitment is crazy but if you trust the process and keep an open mind, you’ll find your new home!

I know many of you are freaking out about your outfits. After being on both sides of recruitment, that seems so silly now. Each day of recruitment requires a different dress code, and the most important thing is to follow that dress code and make sure your outfit is appropriate. No one wants to see your cleavage or how good your booty looks! The active members want to know the girl behind all the makeup and smiles. Walk confidently and dress appropriately and I promise you will look FABULOUS. Comfortable shoes are also SO important. The days are long and you’re standing pretty much the entire time so make sure you don’t end up with blisters all over your feet! If you’re wearing comfy shoes you’re also less likely to trip and fall J.

Once you think you’ve found your home get ready for countless memories and bonds. All of my friends and I joke that college is for finding your bridesmaids, not your husband! Every single day you are exposed to hundreds of girls that welcome you with open arms. Depending on the size of the chapter you join you literally have anywhere from 50-500 options of who to be friends with. How fun is that?? Or maybe to you that’s super intimidating! Either way, I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone every single day. 

Freshman year is such a whirlwind and while it is so important to study and do well in school, I would argue that it is just as important to be social and make friends! Starting a conversation out of thin air is hard but always remember that EVERYONE is looking to make new friends and EVERYONE feels a little awkward!  

Simplify Your Life: The Girl Talk Guide to Decluttering Your Heart & Home

Last Saturday was “National Toss Away the ‘Could Haves’ and ‘Should Haves’ Day,” and it reminded us of the importance—and difficulty-- of decluttering and simplifying your life, inside and out.

We decided to share a few of our favorite tips for simplifying your life, but first, here are a couple of questions to think about...

• Does anyone else find decluttering exceptionally difficult? It shouldn’t be, right? It seems easy enough to decide that you don’t use or need something any more, and throw or give it away. Then why is it so hard?

• Why do we only think about getting rid of physical clutter that is in our way, making our daily lives more of a struggle? Why don’t we think about the emotional and mental clutter that we allow ourselves to live with and carry around?

Though there’s probably not one right answer to either of these questions, they’re certainly things to consider.

Maybe decluttering the physical stuff is hard because we’re afraid that we’ll need the things we get rid of and regret having given them away...or because we have an emotional attachment to them.

Maybe it’s that we hide behind the clutter—we use it as an excuse not to go after and do the things we really want. Having an excuse makes it easier to avoid facing our fear of failing at the things we want (and if that’s the case, let’s revisit our project of reframing failure).

Whatever the case, there's a reason that that bestseller book is called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

We can all agree that the physical, mental, and emotional clutter can be overwhelming, and it isn’t helping anyone move forward to live the life they want to live--so how do we get rid of it? 

How do we simplify to make more room for what’s helpful and important to us?

 Here are some of our best tips for simplifying the physical clutter...

As for the emotional clutter, the negative thoughts and feelings that we carry around with us every day that weigh us down...

Let go and forgive yourself.

As women, we can “woulda, coulda, shoulda” ourselves all day long, but all that does is add to the clutter.

Lists can help here, too, but decluttering this part of your life can be even more difficult. It’s all about identifying what the clutter is, and letting go of it.

This won’t happen in a day either, but you can start any time!  Like decluttering in real life, you just have to decide to start.

We recommend writing down those negative thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc. to identify them, and taking a moment to reflect. While you’re reflecting on the negative, think about the positive, and decide what positive changes you want to make in the way you think and feel.

Write the positive changes down, and throw away the negative list. Literally! Let go of all that weight and refuse to give it the power to control you.

Then take another look at your positive list, and think about concrete ways that you can make those positives a reality. (Write those down too if you’re feeling really crazy!)

It may take some time to truly let go of those negative things, but you will feel lighter and it will make everything else feel more manageable.

Remember, however big or small your project, wherever you start, it will take time.

So remind yourself why you’re doing it—to simplify your life and make room and time for what matters to you. And allow yourself the time to do it, it’s not selfishness, it’s self-love, self-defense, and self-care. 

...

Let us know if your find these tips helpful, and please share your own best practices for simplifying your life with us in the comments! 

Love + simplicity,

Katherine

#ScholarshipSpotlight: Darya Khani, Ron Bell Inspirational Leader of the Year

Congratulations to Darya Khani, one of our Ron Bell Inspirational Leaders of the Year! We are so proud of you, and so excited to share your story of self-love, strength, and inspiration with the Girl Talk community!

“Finding myself was one of the hardest things I have had to do. I didn’t realize I had darker skin than most people, until someone pointed it out to me in middle school. I didn’t know my name was so unusual from the “norm” til some told me. I didn’t know my heritage and ancestry was “frowned” upon til someone told me.

These words were shared to me in middle school. Unfortunately, I believed it. And I am not the only one who believed what a bully said. I believed that I wasn’t the same as everyone else. Thus, I shouldn’t demand the same respect as everyone else. I was convinced people didn’t want to talk to me because I didn’t look the same.

Nevertheless, one Wednesday morning in Middle School I was pushed along to this club called Girl Talk. Little did I know the profound affect it would leave upon me. As soon as I stepped foot into the Girl Talk room, I felt this sense of belonging and tenderness I hadn’t before. The high school leaders greeted me with a warm welcome and escorted me to the donut line. I picked myself a strawberry sprinkle donut and continued to my chair where I would sit and stare, in awe of what the Girl Talk leaders were talking about. The topic of the week was Acceptance. My eyes awakened as I listened so carefully to what they were preaching. The Girl Talk leaders mentioned how the greatest gift you can give someone is unconditional love and acceptance. The idea of unconditional love and acceptance would play a huge role in my upbringing.

The awe factor I received on my first day at Girl Talk made me want to come back for more. I made it a weekly priority to attend Girl Talk in the morning. In fact, I made my dad drop me off at school early enough to be the first to pick my donut and listen to the Girl Talk meeting in whole.

Week by week I would learn about a new topic. These topics evoked so much curiosity in me. Through my middle school years in Girl Talk I learned how to be a good friend, listener, and overall better person. My final days as a middle schooler I had a better sense of who I was and what I stood for, and I owed it all to Girl Talk.

Approaching high school I was eager to join Girl Talk. It would be my first year as a high school Girl Talk leader. This brought me so much joy watching the middle schoolers grow and understand what Girl Talk was about. I made it a mission to impact a girls’ life like the high school leaders did to mine in middle school.

High School flew by and before you knew it I was the Head Leader of Girl Talk at my Holy Innocent’ Episcopal School Chapter as a junior. Inspired by the middle schoolers and my studies as a high schooler, I developed a 2 hour seminar to teach girls the importance of coding! 

You may ask, what does this have to do with anything? Well, I wanted to impact the middle school girls in another way. I taught them how to handle sticky situations, how to be a good friend, and be confident. But I hadn’t yet mentored them in studies. I wanted to share with the girls the importance of school. The privilege of an education. And the value of coding in the world we live in today. I am happy to say the planning for the 2^nd Annual Girls who Code is underway.

As I reflect on my Girl Talk journey, I finally realized who I am and what I stand for. I realized that I am lucky enough to be different, so I shouldn’t change myself. I am a proud Iranian girl with strong dark genes that stand out in a crowd! My name is Darya Khani. I love who I have become!

Girl Talk brought the best out in me. It made me become conscience of the value of my diversity and the worth of my word. I hope to help every girl realize the beaming light that lives inside them and their individual beauty.

From leading the Student Diversity Leadership Council at my school to volunteering at the Atlanta Community Food Bank I have a passion for giving back. Thus, I am honored to be the recipient of the Ron Bell Family Foundation Inspirational Leader Award.

As I continue my journey at University of Georgia with the Presidential Leadership Scholarship, I aim to uphold high morals and always give back. I am very excited to begin my journey in college as a Biology major in pursuit to give back as a doctor someday. Go Dawgs! And Go Girl Talk!”

Thank you, Darya, for having the courage to make Girl Talk a part of your journey and to share your journey to understanding and embracing who you are. We could not be more proud or grateful for you and all you have done to spread the Girl Talk mission, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!