Lifting Girls Up Gala
“I am proud to say that I rebelled. By working hard with some help along the way, I scored in the top 1% of SAT test takers and have been accepted to my dream college. Without Girls Inc., none of this would be possible.”
The Lifting Girls Up Gala and College Shower at Cipriani in NYC was an extraordinary evening the displayed the power of empowerment and investment into young girls. The gala honored Thasunda Brown Duckett, President and CEO of TIAA, Lala Anthony, actress proucer and philanthropist, Beatrice Dixon, founder and CEO of the Honey Pot Company and Janice Reals Ellig, CEO of the Ellig Group who are all forces of change and champsions for gender equality, who have shown their dedication to empowering girls and women throughout their careers. For the first time at the Lifting Up Gala, The College Shower program was also celebrated, honoring college-bound high school seniors from the College Shower program, which helps girls enter and navigate college. During the program, student honorees announced their college acceptances and received scholarships and supplies.
Girls Inc. of New York City is a non-profit that inspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold, and delivers programs to girls and young women throughout the NYC. The organization prepares young women to navigate our current environment by resisting gender stereotypes, accepting and appreciating their bodies, to have confidence in themselves, and prepare for interesting work and independence. About 10,000 girls and young women across NYC participate in Girls Inc. programs, where 100% of girls in their high-impact programs are admitted to college and 100% of girls in their high-impact programs graduate high school. More than 80% of program participants identify as girls of color, while nearly 70% of the program participants come from families with annual incomes of less than $25,000, and most are raised by single-parent homes led by women.
Ariel Jacobs, Broadway Performer
The evening began with a performance of the song, “A whole new Story” by legendary performer Ariel Jacobs, who has roles in Broadway productions Wicked, in the Heights, and Alladdin. Ms. Jacobs sang, “A Whole New Story” from upcoming Broadway musical Between the Lines, a musical to be released in the summer about a teen girl who learns that it is not about whether or not your life is a fairytale but whether you’re the author and hero of your own story.
Thasunda Brown Ducckett, President and CEO of TIAA
The first honoree of the Strong, Smart and Bold Leadership Award was Thasunda Brown Ducckett, President and CEO of TIAA, Fortune 100 provider of retirement solutions to millions. Ms. Ducckett serves on the boards of Nike, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, and Economic Club of NY, among others, and is passionate about helping communities of colors close achieve gaps. She is the second black woman currently leading a Fortune 500 firm and the fourth black woman to serve as a Fortune 500 CEO.
“40% of all Americans run the risk of running out of money and women retire with 30% less… girls must understand the power of compounding, the power of investing, to make sure we can retire inequality once and for all”
During the event, Ms. Duckkett whose company TIAA is a proud supporter of Girls Inc., gave a riveting speech. Ms. Duckkett began by acknowledging those who inspired her and enabled her to reach her goals, proclaiming to her mother in the audience, “Thank you Mom, without you, I would not be a CEO.” She also gave a thank you to her husband who remained at home taking care of their children, explaining, “shoutout to Richard Duckett, who is holding it down like great men do.” She explained that TIAA is a Fortune 100 company whose mission was started by Andrew Carnegie who said, “those who are educating the brightest minds should not retire in poverty but with dignity”, exclaiming that mantra inspires their work today. She emphasized that retirement is a critical situation for US, where “40% of all Americans run the risk of running out of money and women retire with 30% less… girls must understand the power of compounding, the power of investing, to make sure we can retire inequality once and for all.” She then spoke directly to the 25 graduating honorees, to “drop a few gems”.
“If you look up and don’t see someone who looks like you it might be because you are the chosen one, so take the assignment and know that you are the one to break the ceiling.”
First, she said it pays to stay curious and embrace opportunities. Always ask the next question. Then the next question. Then the next question. Make sure you are comfortable – its okay to not know what you don’t know. It’s the power of the question that can unlock innovation, it’s the power of question that can change your trajectory. Secondly, she proclaimed, “I want to make sure you know that your voice is necessary and required. When you walk into a room, if you are the only young girl or the only woman, know that you belong. And if the room does not have your chair, you bring your chair and you sit at the table.” Lastly, she encouraged the girls to, “dream big, audaciously big - bold and daring. Dare the impossible. And if you look up and don’t see someone who looks like you it might be because you are the chosen one, so take the assignment and know that you are the one to break the ceiling. She lastly shared a lesson she learned from her father to, “reach for the moon. If you reach for the moon, there are no ceilings. Because even if you miss, you will be among the stars. She ended telling the young women, “You represent our future, you represent what it means to be a first, you represent what it means to be excellent so reach for the moon.”
The evening continued with a celebration of the honorees and graduates, who shared compelling testimonies of how Girls Inc. transformed their lives. The graduates, many of whom were first-generation college students shared the schools they would be attending, which included Cornell University, Columbia University, NYU Stern, Princeton University, Wesleyan University, and Harvard University, among others. It was an incredible event, one that was empowering and a true testament of how impactful Girls Inc. has been to many girls, empowering them to achieve their dreams and instilling the values to change the world.
Anita Dugbartey, Girls Inc. Honoree, Incoming Harvard College freshman
The college shower honoree speaker was Anita Dugbartey, who also received a $5,000 scholarship during the evening, gave a powerful and emotional speech sharing how her life was transformed because of Girls Inc. She explained how she came from a Ghanaian household as a first generation American and the first-generation in her family to go to college, where the idea of being “strong, smart, and bold” was enough to raise the blood pressure of the misogynistic men in her household. She explained, “I was taught being bold makes a woman unloveable – how can she serve her husband or properly raise her children? [To men in my household, being strong is only good to serve the greater good or anyone other than a woman herself. To be strong and bold is rebellion and also freedom. I am proud to say that I rebelled. By working hard with some help along the way, I scored in the top 1% of SAT test takers and have been accepted to my dream college [Harvard College]. Without Girls Inc. None of this would be possible.”
“Because of your generous support, girls like me will shake up rooms and universities we never thought we could get into. Let’s keep empowering more girls and women to shake up the room and shake up the world”
She went on to share how the mentorship from the Girls Inc. staff molded her, as she would be filled with words of, “encouragement and love. Everytime we spoke, I felt more confident in myself as a student and person.” She became more involved in her community through Girls Inc. mentorship, and was the first person in her high school to be accepted to Harvard College. She plans to pursue her education in economics with plans to found a VC firm to boost entrepreneurship and funding accessibility to people of color and women. She explained that, “Girls Inc. has transformed the way I think about myself and my influence as a woman but also how I feel about my contributions to society. If I could leave with one thing, when you support Girls Inc. you are not just donating to any non-profit you are donating to an organization that has the power to change the lives of young underserved women. You are contributing to the movement that inspires young women in tough circumstances like me to shoot for the stars; you are supporting the future. Girls Inc. gave me hope, purp9ose and clarity. You don’t just change the lives of women like me but you also change the broader impact of the world. Because of your generous support, girls like me will shake up rooms and universities we never thought we could get into. Let’s keep empowering more girls and women to shake up the room and shake up the world”