In the Land of Women, by Ashley L., Alumna, age 18

Excitement, bewilderment, accomplishment, insecurity, self-assurance, hunger. It was sometime around 8 a.m. on the humid Socal morning of October 26^th, and all of those sensations rushed through my body at once. Three of my fellow WriteGirl Alumni and I were waiting in the wings of the main stage at Maria Shriver’s 7^th Annual Women’s Conference and, although all of us had been awake since 4 am, we were alive and riled up, set to command the attention of an arena full of powerful women.

My throat tightened. My brain became an amalgamation of sounds: the music of the Gospel Choir that opened the show; a muffled alarm clock; and my home voicemail system-“Hello, no one is available to take your call”. I was dizzy and, for a moment, time froze.

We were about to take the stage that would later host the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer. We rounded the corner of the velvet curtain and sauntered proudly to the front of audience of 50,000. I was first to speak and, in spite of a serious case of dry mouth, I divulged my opening line, “GIRL POWER!”

We owned the crowd.

Our speeches were solid, flawless, melodic, and perfectly timed.  With well-rehearsed synchronicity, we ended on point with a simultaneous, “Never underestimate the power of a girl and her pen!”

We had surely proved our understanding of what it meant to be an empowered woman. Hugging, squealing, glowing smiles; we were proud of ourselves, and each other.

After our performance we were escorted to “The Village”, a massive carnival of chocolate samples, sales promotions, free manicures, lectures on self-esteem and stress management, books (including WriteGirl’s anthologies!), food, music, and celebrity branding.

My comrade Charice and I were interviewed in the media tent, where I crossed paths with Lisa Leslie, Diane Sawyer, Jeannie Mai, and Jane Goodall. We ate and explored, heard speeches from First Ladies Michelle Obama and Maria Shriver, and snagged bags filled with coveted freebies.

More important than the material gains, however, was the priceless sense of achievement and enrichment. When I first started WriteGirl as a doe-eyed High School-er, I never imagined that in turn, I’d be given the opportunity to be part of such an awe-inspiring event.

As much fun as I had, I can’t underestimate the significant impact speaking at the Women’s Conference has had on my confidence not only as a writer, but also as woman. Apparently waking up at 4 a.m. does have its perks.

Allie, Ariel, Charice and Ashley at the Women's Conference

 

Do’s and Don’ts of Interning at the WriteGirl Office

Imagine sitting at a cubicle, hidden behind stacks of paper and a Mac notebook, while holding a cup of tazo tea in your right hand. The phone rings incessantly every five minutes and there is still a pile of books you need to run to the mailing room before 5pm. Let’s not forget the sounds of city-life bustling below.

Be tortured no more because the scene previously depicted was completely fictitious…for us anyhow. We interned at the WriteGirl office this summer, and our list of do’s and don’ts can be applied not only at a nonprofit such as WriteGirl, but in any office setting. We hope that this advice will help you in your future employment, volunteer or intern positions.

- Jamilah M., WriteGirl Alumna, age 18 & Julie A., WriteGirl Intern and Mentee, age 17

1. Be respectful

Okay, so maybe this sounds more like something you’d hear in a classroom but it should be the golden rule. Treat people in the office kindly, and be mindful of your attitude when assigned to answering phones. You may be interning to please your parents or solely to bulk-up your college transcript, but the people with whom you are working will be the same people you may need for a reference for that next place of employment or another internship. Besides that, being polite is just plain common courtesy.

2. Be reliable

Jot your schedule in your planner, memorize it, tag it on your refrigerator and follow it like your favorite television show. If for any reason you cannot show up to work, tell the person in charge ahead of time. Same goes for being on time.

3. Take Reasonable Lunch Breaks

This is something that most people take lightly, especially when interning or volunteering, but whatever organization you will work for, be sure not to abuse the freedom of selecting the duration of your break.

4. Don’t Assume. Ever.

Never, ever! Ask questions. For example, if your supervisor asks you to create labels, ask which size, which font, etc. Or when you’re putting stamps on packages, ask how many, and which kind of stamps. (WriteGirl sent out a lot of packages this summer, promoting their upcoming book, so we got a lot of practice learning how not to assume!) Don’t be afraid to ask questions; you’re interning to learn new things, right?

5. Do take notes!

If you’re given a list of things to do, or how to do a specific task, take notes. Some places might even give you a notepad (journals are definitely overflowing at the WriteGirl office!), but take your own, just in case. However, you don’t have to jot down every single word they say—key details will suffice.

6. Don’t buy a whole wardrobe before your first day.

Is the office casual? Business? Business casual? (And what does that really mean, anyway??) For your first day, it’s always better to be over dressed than under dressed, but do not buy a whole wardrobe before you are certain of what you should wear. We both know people who have bought new heels, pencil skirts, slacks, etc., and their boss wears jeans most days. Take note of your coworkers, and don’t shy away from adapting their style. And again, don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Check us out on NPR!

WriteGirl alum and former blog-author Ariel Edwards Levy recently published her first piece for NPR, featuring an interview with another WriteGirl alum, Fahiya Rashid.

Listen to or read the Ariel’s terrific piece about the tangles of financial aid here!

And congratulations to both Ariel and Fahiya!

Fahiya reading her work at the 2009 Season-End Event.

Senior and Mentor Take On College Apps!

Unlike most of my peers, I attend a year-round school, which means that I started school in early July. Although I was excited to finish my senior year, I was terrified to face the dreaded college application. There are so many requirements to be fulfilled, such as entrance exams and extra curricular activities, that sometimes it feels like too much handle. It almost feels like a timed test––the clock is ticking so fast I’m afraid I won’t be able to finish. The applications are due in four months––that’s not a lot of time!

Raechal and Charice after a productive mentoring session this summer.

Thankfully, I’ve got my mentor, Raechal, to help me with the whole application process.

From the moment we met, Raechal and I hit it off fairly quickly because we share a lot of similar interests. She works at Yahoo, which influences what we talk about most––usually news articles (and of course the occasional even celebrity gossip). Working with her has helped me pursue journalism for myself.

This August, we have been meeting up almost daily to work on my personal statements for college. In addition, WriteGirl just had an Essay Writing Workshop for seniors in Hollywood.

I need all the help I can get, and I’m grateful that WriteGirl provided this workshop. I’m confident now that I’ll finish my applications prior to the November 30th deadline. With all the help I’m receiving, I’m sure that I’ll get through this chaotic period of my life.

I feel that college will be the turning point in my future; my parents taught me that going to a higher education will lead to a better future, not only for me but also for my family. During my first ever WriteGirl workshop, I was exposed to journalism and my attraction to the genre has continued till today. I’m actually one of the news editors for my school newspaper, Blue Tide.

I plan to apply to some UCs, but I’m more interested in the amazing writing programs in the East Coast, such as Bard, Syracuse and Skidmore. And thanks to WriteGirl, I’m actually considering to major in English. I’m passionate about writing because to me, it becomes an outlet where I can pour all the emotions running through my veins.

Plus, it’s so much easier to describe something with adjectives and sentences than to solve math equations!

- Charice B., age 17

Young Adult Author Helps WriteGirls Turn Real Life into Fiction

“Print it, fill it, and finish it,” said Margaret Stohl, a guest speaker at WriteGirl’s recent “Nonfiction Turned Fiction” workshop. Stohl is also the co-author of the Young Adult thriller called Beautiful Creatures. She had such strong, unforgettable presence when she talked about writing. Her voice was so empowering it was kind of hard to ignore.

What did she mean by “print it”? Write everything and anything that comes to your mind. Write out all the pain that you’re going through. By “fill it”? Give it some details. And “finish it”? Make it yours. Every writer has a voice. Find your voice and hold on to it. After a few minutes of her speaking, she had my undivided attention.

Stohl also advised us to always carry a pen a small notebook: you never know when you’ll get inspired. Record everything you see and feel. Nevertheless, she said, she was always doing her writing in the Santa Monica Library. She said that being surrounded by all the books kept her focussed and inspired.

Hearing about her process of writing made me think of my own. In some ways, I have similar writing habits. I usually like to write in a quiet place too. But I’ve never tried writing in the library. I spend my time writing in my room alone. Once I’m inspired, I start out typing what comes to my mind first. This usually sparks what I write next. Once I really know what I want to say, I log on to Pandora, the best Internet radio.

Usually the songs I listen to inspire me to keep writing. The emotions I extract from the music give me the same mood in my writings. For example, the other day I was really inspired to write about a friendship, and the songs playing while I was writing were Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” and then “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers.

Stohl also told us that Young Adult writers like her “want to be authentic versions of you.” So, in writing for young people, she said that she was trying to remember the painfulness of being a teenager. This really impressed me: we’re going through the painful experiences of adolescence in real time, while she’s trying to recapture the same emotions. So now, I really take the time to write down what happens everyday of my teenage life.

Once Stohl finished, I remember Raechal (my mentor) and I looking at each other in total amazement. Raechal even mouthed out to me, “She’s so great!” I responded with a nod and a smile.

Charice B., Age 17