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Yesterday started like this:

Turn to your neighbor on the left and say, “you’re awesome,” and turn to the girl on the right to say, “you’re awesome.” And then, a full auditorium of girls shout:
“When I say girl, you say leader”: “Girl” “Leader” “Girl” “Leader”
“When I say girl, you say power”: “Girl” “Power” “Girl” “Power”
“When I say yeah, you say I matter”: “Yeah” “I matter”

This was our second year attending the STARS Girls’ Leadership Summit. The event, hosted by PowerPlay, creates a space for young women to embrace their power, confidence, and uniqueness through hands-on workshops and performances. The day opened with inspiring speeches made by Wendy Hilliard, gymnast and coach (and much more!), and Miki Agrawal, a social entrepreneur and the founder of THINX.

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Wendy’s words of wisdom?

  1. Play sports. Learn to be on a team. Learn to play fair (athletes know how to battle it out on the field of competition but they know how to play fair).
  2. It’s important to be good at something, and the only way to get there is to work hard.
  3. Travel as much as you can. Travel abroad, travel around this country, travel around this city. Take the subway to a different part of Brooklyn.
  4. Volunteer—a lot. It’s important to give back.
  5. What you do to work on the inside is what’s most important. Don’t focus on the outside.
  6. In meetings, the most important thing to do is LISTEN.
  7. Develop FOCUS. 


miki-agrawal-thinx-1515Miki’s words of wisdom?

  1. You are the average of your five closest friends. Look hard and decide who your friends will be, because it reflects on you too.
  2. Don’t go asking what favors or help someone can give you – instead, ask, “what can I do to help you?”
  3. Understand your bodies and what’s important to keep them safe.
  4. As the founder of THINX, a women’s underwear for periods, Miki asked herself 3 questions: What sucks in my world? Does it suck for a lot of people? Can I be passionate about the issue for a long time?


In the afternoon hundreds of students filtered into workshops put on by the STARS partnership (including Row New York, Sadie Nash, Girls Write Now, and PowerPlay). From discussions on social media, creating your own brand, to what makes a great leader, the girls experienced both a fun and impactful day! After listening to words of wisdom from diverse female voices, girls in Row New York’s workshop (In My Skin With a Grin), shared what they admired about themselves and their personal words of wisdom through hashtags. The short phrases gave them a piece of inspiration to take with them into the classroom, their homes, and their communities.

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Row New York’s staff led the workshop “In My Skin With a Grin” while our middle and high school students participated in workshops hosted by other organizations.

The STARS Citywide Girls Initiative is a collaboration of nine leading NYC nonprofits with the shared goal to help girls and young women of color overcome barriers to success; grow emotionally, academically, and physically stronger; and develop as leaders in their communities.

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