Yuma Study Center

"Love what you do and do what you love." --Ray Bradbury

I pass this quote everyday in the metro station as I am leaving my internship, and I walk away with a satisfied feeling knowing that I am following his advice.

I am interning at the Yuma Study Center, a non-profit whose mission is to inspire women of all ages to improve society through their own unique talents and gifts as personal and professional women. Yuma supports the Girl Talk philosophy for which I am so passionate, and is exponentially beneficial to my own growth as a young professional. 

The Yuma Study Center officially opened in February 2013, so I witness rapid changes in my daily work as Yuma launches and develops more programs and activities. I work with a small, but vibrant staff of incredible women dedicated to enriching the lives of others. As the business intern, I manage the financials, event planning, programs, and fundraising. I am fortunate to be able to wear several hats and gain perspective of the many different angles of a non-profit. Because the center is so new, it is exciting to experience its growth alongside with mine.  

Yuma Study Center

My Passion

My passion is inspiring women to appreciate their inherent dignity, and to value the beauty that comes with being a woman.

As the youngest sister of three older brothers, I've always loved being a girl. Don't get me wrong, I fully enjoyed growing up in house full of soccer balls, Davy Crockett explorer caps, video games, basketball hoops, and every other "boy" item you could imagine. I even grew up playing sports myself-even as the only middle school girl brave enough to join the boys basketball game at recess. However, through the chaos of flying hockey pucks, I discovered the unique value that comes with being a girl. 

Throughout my own growth into womanhood, I encountered the typical joys and struggles of adolescence. In my junior and senior years of college, as a student minister, I mentored freshmen women entering into the world beyond high school. What I found was that these girls were struggling immensely with their own self-worth, particularly with their physical appearance, relationships with other women, and most substantially, with men. These women felt alone and hopeless in their struggles, believing that no one else understood what they were going through.

The reality was that these struggles pointed to a universal part of womanhood. EVERY girl struggles to feel beautiful. EVERY girl has felt worthless. EVERY girl has had her heart broken. My residents needed to know that they were not alone. And so, Girl Talk was born in order to inspire women to value their beauty and dignity through honest conversation and a resounding reassurance that they are not alone. This program began with 60 girls in one residence hall, and has since grown to over 300 participants in five residence halls across the campus community. This year it boasts 50 campus leaders and aims to reach 500 participants. Girl Talk is inspiring women more and more each day with its powerful messages of solidarity, support, and the uniquely inherent value of women.