On the last day of elementary school, my teacher pulled me aside at the end of the day. She told me I was special and had the power to change the world; she told me that I could be anything I wanted to be; she told me I was a girl. She said that I was going to show the boys in this world just how influential a woman can be. I had completely forgotten that encounter until I had been accepted into the Baldwin Scholars Program my freshman year. Sitting in our seminar class during spring semester, I realized I was in the company of 17 other influential women who were bound to change the world.
The women I have met through the Baldwin Scholars are utterly phenomenal. They have inspired me, challenged me, and supported me. Over ten years later, they continue to inspire, challenge, and support me. I have so much gratitude for the program that brought (and continues to bring) me connection to such powerful, supportive women.