Guest Blogger: Arianna Davis

I Am Superwoman

Stories about girls without access to education have always tugged at my heart strings. Books like Half the Sky and A Thousand Splendid Suns left me in tears, and I have a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for the education I was fortunate enough to have all the way through college. But as much as I wanted to help other girls have the same opportunities I did, I always felt helpless in that regard: it seemed like way too big of a problem for one small person like me to tackle. I mean, after all, I’m not Superwoman, I’d think to myself.

Then a friend of mine told me that she was volunteering for an organization
called She’s the First. It seemed right up my alley: an organization that
campaigned for the education of girls in developing countries. They were
raising money through fundraisers and social media to sponsor girls in
countries from Guatemala to India. It was perfect, but there was one thing
stopping me: I had a full time job: did I really have the time and energy to
work AND volunteer? Again, I’d think to myself, I’m not Superwoman, I can’t
do it all!!

And then, a week later, everything changed. I met a group of girls from the
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. They were fun,
witty, and incredibly intelligent, but what impressed me the most about them
was the sparkle in their eyes. They all came from horrific circumstances
that I can’t even begin to fathom, yet they talked a mile a minute about
dreams to be doctors and journalists and lawyers, dreams that they knew were
possible because of the education they were receiving, an education they
constantly talked about being grateful for.

I fell in love with those girls, and after meeting them, the wheels in my
mind starting turning. I imagined them being married off at the age of 12,
or doing unimaginable things to support their families, instead of there
with me sharing stories about their favorite classes or talking about what
college they want to go to. Right after I met them, I made the decision that
I didn’t care about the time commitment, or the fact that I was only one
person trying to tackle an immense international crisis: I was going to do
whatever I could do help little girls like them who weren’t as lucky. Even
if I am just one small person part of one single organization, what She’s
the First is doing is making a difference, and by joining their cause, I
could help that difference become larger and larger. And in the past year
researching, volunteering at events, and building relationships with girls
at our sponsor schools all around the world, I’ve discovered that maybe I
can be Superwoman, after all.

- Guest Blog post by Arianna Davis (She’s The First Researcher)

Arianna Davis is a journalism graduate of Penn State and works as an editorial assistant at O, The Oprah Magazine, a blogger and contributor for various websites such as AOL Black Voices and Michelle O Brunch, and as a researcher and blogger for the girls’ education non-profit She’s the First. To read more about her life in the concrete jungle, check out her blog The View From the 36th Floor.

Want to be a guest blogger on Living Philanthropic?
Join the team and donate to She’s The First at http://girlswhorock.causevox.com/living & submit your blog post about why you made a contribution here: http://bit.ly/lp-blogger

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Rock out with She’s the First on June 10 at the GIRLS WHO ROCK concert in NYC!

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