The founder of Girls' Voices Matter, Erica Goss, has fifteen years of experience teaching literary arts-based curricula at schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the co-creator of Media Poetry Studio, a poetry-and-film summer workshop for teen girls. As Poet Laureate for Los Gatos, California, she established the Los Gatos Poet Laureate Youth... Continue Reading →
Introducing Christina Kwan and The Road Uncovered
As she ascended the corporate ladder, Christina confronted many commonplace struggles: doubt, anxiety, and the infamous imposter syndrome. Nonetheless, she persisted, learning to trust her instincts and take action, even if it meant doing something foreign, or simply being bold. When she neared the highly-coveted top, Christina looked at her surroundings, and wondered, "Is this... Continue Reading →
Kim Meninger: Empowering Women to Expand Visibility, Increase Assertiveness, and Build Confidence
Naturally, Kim and I met at a Lean In Event, where we had the pleasure of listening to Sheryl Sandberg speak about women at work, and how we all need to do better both within and outside of the workplace to cultivate more equitable societies. I later discovered that this notion was the premise of... Continue Reading →
The Crippling Effects of Likability
Hello there. It’s been a minute (more like 86,400 to be more precise and less cliché), but I’m back and better than ever. Those readers who don’t know me on a personal level are likely unable to sense the sarcasm, but trust me, it’s there. The truth is, the start of 2020 caught me by... Continue Reading →
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and the Vital Lessons it Holds
It is with great caution and a heavy heart that I attempt to unravel this immensely delicate topic. Anne Frank and all that her story encapsulates permeates a past much larger than any of us. A few months back, I traveled to Amsterdam and visited the Anne Frank House, walking outside to face the beautiful... Continue Reading →
Nine Perfect Strangers: Liane Moriarty Tackles our Unfaltering Quest for Self-Betterment
You know that you’ve found yourself a distinguished read when upon unsticking the resistant new cover from the first page, you opt to make a trip to the place of its very origination, even if it happens to be on the other side of the world. To briefly rewind about half a year into the... Continue Reading →
Ghosted: Rosie Walsh’s Thrilling Twist on the Commonplace Phenomenon
When asked what had inspired her to embark on this topic of twenty-first century “ghosting,” Rosie Walsh attests, “I wanted to write about a universal dilemma – an experience that almost all of us have had, but few of us have been able to navigate successfully. Then, one evening, I had dinner with a friend... Continue Reading →
Friendship Inventories and the Unexpected Breakup
Just before I had set off for University, everyone I spoke with seemed to idealize their personal college experience, outwardly acclaiming how they would do anything to turn back time for a mere day, simply for one more tailgate, senior party, or a night surrounded by best friends. Much to my surprise upon arriving to... Continue Reading →
Education: An Overtly Underestimated Weapon
Education is an eminently underestimated weapon. Reflecting on my personal schooling experience, I am a tad ashamed at the thought of my complaining over an impending essay or exam. I lament the two classes I skipped in college (even more so after dividing my annual tuition by the number of classes held in those two... Continue Reading →
Venmo and the Demise of Reciprocity
I recently listened to Rachel Hollis’ podcast titled, Why is it so hard to talk about money? The oddity of this topic is initially what had me intrigued to give it a listen. That is, money truly is a taboo and unwieldy topic to delve into, for a myriad of reasons. For starters, the economy... Continue Reading →
Why I Don’t Say Happy Birthday: A Romantic’s Guide to Forgiving, Forgetting, and Letting Go
Upon reading the title of this piece, I’m inquisitive as to where most minds wander. Personally, upon contriving this name, Why I Don’t Say Happy Birthday, my thoughts immediately jumped to the daily appearance a red notification signaling Facebook birthdays, which oftentimes celebrate the lives of individuals with whom I haven’t spoken in years (or... Continue Reading →
Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead
I was always getting into trouble growing up. Nearly every dinner, I was sent to my room for something. One night, my butt only slightly brushed the cold bench where my sister and I sat every night for dinner, when I was asked to return to my bedroom. Oftentimes, I rolled my eyes and reluctantly... Continue Reading →
Girl, Wash Your Face: Recognize the Privilege to Rise Above and Discover Your Inner-Hero
In its simplest form, feminism is the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes, or organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests. Despite the overarching generality of this definition, feminism looks incredibly discordantly for diverse groups of women around the world. White feminism, an appellation surrounding feminist theories or movements... Continue Reading →
The Art of Giving and Receiving: For a Brighter World
This mad world in which we exist is abounding with every type of human being imaginable. From the evilest of evils, to the most angelic of angels, I have encountered cheaters, stealers and liars, alongside real-life superheroes, individuals with the utmost integrity, and those with solid, pristine, golden hearts. With the abundance of dismal news... Continue Reading →
That Girl
I was strolling alongside the Charles River on a beautiful summer evening, soaking in the warm air and cotton candy sky overhead, accompanied by a friend a few years my junior, who was visibly uneasy. Shortly after we began our walk, she professed that she was seeking advice. I remained calm and encouraging, but my... Continue Reading →
Get Over Your Damn Self: Harnessing Your Inner Fire to Succeed
I find my value in involvement and success. I was that person in high school. President of the Model United Nations organization, captain of both the girls’ field hockey and track teams, editor of our school newspaper, board member of a non-profit organization, and salutatorian of our graduating class. At Boston College, I was the... Continue Reading →
Searching for Love to Escape Ourselves
Hayley Quinn begins her captivating Ted Talk with the catchphrase, “So, let me tell you a love story. Once upon a time…” As you might guess, at first the plot unraveled as many love stories go. She met a guy, he was perfect, they fell in love. Hayley believed they would spend the rest of... Continue Reading →
Life, Timing, and What the Heck is the Rush?
If you’re a planner like myself, I’m curious: Has your life gone exactly the way you’d expected it to ten years ago? If it has, can you please direct me to the next winning lottery ticket? As for the rest of us planners, I’d guess that our lives are nonetheless different from what we had... Continue Reading →
Nadia’s Initiative: A Nobel Peace Prize Laureate’s Fight to End Human Trafficking
I had the ultimate privilege of speaking with Olivia Wells about her experience with Nadia's Initiative. Nadia Murad is the co-recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, and an ardent advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. In line with this vision, Nadia's Initiative is dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis, and strives for... Continue Reading →
The Hot Young Widows Club: Living Alongside the Melody
I dreamt of my late grandfather last night. We were on a tube, floating serenely down a river together. P.S. do you ever have a dream and then think to yourself, how on earth is my mind contriving these thoughts? The other evening, I was skiing down mountains of ice-cream. Anyways, in this particular dream,... Continue Reading →