Testimonials

Meet a Girls Inc. Alum

My name is Darla Walters Gary. I am a senior at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville and I am a graduate of the Eureka! Teen Achievement Program, which is a program of Girls Inc. of Alameda County, California. I am also a recipient of a Girls Inc. National Scholarship. I am going to try to portray to you the affect that Girls Inc. has had on my life, though I am not sure that I can fully express to you the importance of the support I received from Girls Inc.

When I started my association with Girls Inc. at the end of seventh grade, I was timid and afraid of new experiences. I clung to what I knew, what was familiar. I was not confident with new experiences. My father had to push me to apply to the program. And even as I started my first summer, I was unsure of why they had chosen me. However, looking back I realize that I was exactly what they were looking for. I was smart and thoughtful, but I was extremely shy and at risk for slipping through the cracks.

I grew up in a low-income family in Oakland, California. Though I was close to my family and they were very supportive, they could not do everything. I was a public school student in one of the worst school districts in the state. To do well in Oakland is an accomplishment by anyone. This is something I never thought about then, but as I have gone through my time here in New York, it has become painfully obvious how my education lacked in comparison to the high schools my college peers attended. I honestly believe that had I not gone through the Girls Inc. program I would not have had the drive and confidence to push myself enough in high school to get an education strong enough to get me to a prestigious school. Girls Inc. created an environment comfortable enough for me to become confidant enough with my own abilities and my own personality to be able to figure out what I wanted from life, and how to get it. They did not do it for me; they just allowed me to grow in a supportive environment and helped me find the boldness that I never knew was inside of me.

The Eureka program spanned four summers and each summer I came back Stronger, each summer I left Bolder. They helped me realize that my education in Oakland was what I made of it, and that if I put effort into it, I would be rewarded. Though the district was under funded and my school lacked resources, I was able to find what I needed, and honestly I am happy that I went there. I was never handed anything, I had to work for it, and I think that learning how to work for what I want is the most important thing I could have learned in high school. I graduated with life skills and a passion and drive that many of my college peers are still trying to find.

Girls Inc. helped me realized that the thing that had held me back, was my fear of making mistakes, but that letting go of opportunities because I feared them was the biggest mistake I could make. I learned that I was capable of expressing myself, taking care of myself, and that I could achieve in new situations, and I let go of a lot of my shyness. When I started to look at life as a learning experience, I learned how to live it.

In addition to drawing me out of my shell, Girls Inc. has helped me with a lot of practical problems, such as with job skills, money management, college applications and work experience. After I graduated from the Eureka! Program I went back and worked for the program the following two summers. While I was a senior in high school they had a meeting about the Girls Inc. National Scholarship, which I ended up applying for and winning. As a recipient of the scholarship I attended a national conference luncheon in Washington DC which honored women who were fighting for equality for women and girls. I was also able to meet several U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives. I felt so accomplished and proud of myself.

Girls Inc. showed me that everything I needed to be successful was inside me, and I just had to be confidant enough to let it out. They helped me realize that the shy 12 year old who first walked through their doors was strong, smart, and bold, and that I was capable of anything as long as I didn’t let fear stand in my way. They have had such a positive influence on my life, and on the lives of the other girls I know from the program. The people who worked with me and supported me in Girls Inc. were phenomenal. They gave 110% and I couldn’t help but give 110% back to them. That’s why it’s so important that there’s finally a Girls Inc in Westchester. Westchester girls deserve the support that Girls Inc gives. Every girl should have the opportunity to succeed regardless of her economic situation. Every girl is Strong, Smart, and Bold, many just don’t realize it.