My Name Is Aneliz Ortega, I will be your MC for today. I am 18 years old, a senior, and a Girls Inc Youth Leader.

It was Club Rush Day of my sophomore year in High School.  The red tablecloth and laminated Girls Inc. sign stood out from the other clubs’ hand-drawn paper posters. I was attracted to the Girls Inc. table despite my friends’ lack of interest in the program being promoted.  Apart from my intrigue in the Leadership program, which is Girls Inc’s high school program, my decision stemmed mainly from my desire to spend time after school outside of my crowded two-bedroom home that I lived in with three other families.

As the eldest daughter in my household and after my parents’ divorce, I had to support my mother by stepping up as a second parent to my younger sisters as my mother transitioned into becoming a single parent living in a new city.  Paired with living in a cramped house of virtually all girls and grieving my split family, I struggled to be a good older sister, substitute parent, and role model.  My only exposure to how the oldest child should behave came from my older brother, who often times belittled my sisters and me, when we moved he chose to stay and live with our father in Sacramento.  I modeled my behavior after my brother, taking out my frustrations on the children of the house.  As an eleven-year-old girl, I resented having to take care of all the children while the adults left for work. During this time, Girls Inc. gave me the outlet I needed to get away for at least the 2 hours after school. Being in that space allowed me to be myself, and to be able deal with things positively.

My experience as a Youth Leader for Girls Inc. showed me positive role models to emulate. The women I worked with were always encouraging, listening to our ideas, and seeing the positive side of a situation.  Being part of a team that acted as a support system to advocate and mentor young women made me realize my role as a Youth Leader did not reflect how I was as an older sister.  Quickly I applied my skills as a Youth Leader into my home, giving my families the same energy my adult facilitators gave me.  Rather than modeling after my brother and taking my stress, anxiety, and frustration out on my sisters and cousins, I learned to be a positive force in their lives and to be supportive and understanding of their lives.

On top of becoming proactive in my efforts to become a good role model, I took it upon myself to be the person who started to heal the broken sisterhood in my family.  I encouraged my cousin to join Girls Inc., where I watched her bloom into a more confident young woman and am now watching her learn to be a responsible student and Youth Leader.  This year, my sister joined Girls Inc. as well.

I believe my efforts will ultimately lead to an entire attitude change for the younger women in my family who want to heal the relationships among our moms and aunts.  If I had not joined Girls Inc. when I had at a young age, my path to maturity may have taken longer, and I would not have been able to introduce my sisters and other family members to the importance of being part of something as life-changing as Girls Inc.

I’m excited to share with you today that I am a proud 2024 Girls Inc. National Scholar, recipient of the $25,000 Suzanne Patmore Gibbs Courage Scholarship. I am also excited to share that I have been accepted to Yale University! My ultimate career goal is to become a psychiatrist to deepen my understanding of what guides the psychological and cognitive processes in the brain that relate to emotional and psychological well-being.

My ambitions are high, and as the first in my family to go to college there is a lot of pressure for me to succeed; I intend to make my family proud.

I wouldn’t be here without the support of my family, especially my mom. And of course, without the support of the wonderful and amazing Girls Inc. staff that has helped me grow throughout my time with Girls Inc. So, I would like to truly thank each and every one of you that has worked with me and who I have become close with throughout this time, I couldn’t have done it without you all!