• About
  • Editorial Board
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • Welcoming Wellesley’s Green Class of 2025
      Welcoming Wellesley’s Green Class of 2025
    • 2020 Alumnae Achievement Awards Held Virtually; 3 Awardees Honored
      2020 Alumnae Achievement Awards Held Virtually; 3 Awardees Honored
    • Students Remember the Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsberg
      Students Remember the Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsberg
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • No image
      Wellesley, help financial aid students file taxes
    • No image
      You have no valid reasons to oppose raising the minimum wage
    • No image
      Free the pee: cut the hygiene theater and let us use other bathrooms
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • “Wonder Woman 1984:” the Antithesis of Liberation
      “Wonder Woman 1984:” the Antithesis of Liberation
    • Why You Shouldn’t Read the “Bridgerton” Books, and What To Read Instead
      Why You Shouldn’t Read the “Bridgerton” Books, and What To Read Instead
    • “Framing Britney Spears” heightens awareness on Britney Spears’ situation and the Free Britney movement
      “Framing Britney Spears” heightens awareness on Britney Spears’ situation and the Free Britney movement
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
  • Health and Wellness
    • COVID-19: Popping the Wellesley Bubble
      COVID-19: Popping the Wellesley Bubble
    • No image
      Athletic impacts of Covid-19
    • No image
      A new kind of PE
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • Miscellanea
    • No image
      Remote students experience existential crises; change class years in email signatures
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Your next on-campus romance isn’t going to work out
      Your next on-campus romance isn’t going to work out
    • The Artichoke
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Gillian McGuire Features, News and FeaturesFebruary 10, 2017

Campus organization, She’s the First, mobilizes support for girls’ education and empowerment

For Wellesley College students, women’s empowerment is something of an unspoken promise. As one of the nation’s top undergraduate institutions for women, the college lifts each student up and broadens their horizons, inspiring them to elevate other women beyond the reaches of their campus. This spirit is evident in the achievements not only of Wellesley’s alumnae, but also in the work of current students, particularly through the campus organizations they lead.

In keeping with Wellesley’s mission and values, JoAnn Jung ’20 and Li Kwan ’20 have channeled their passion for educating girls from disadvantaged backgrounds by initiating Wellesley’s own chapter of the national nonprofit organization, She’s the First (STF).

According to the organization’s website, the group works on an international scale to provide scholarships, mentorship and empowerment to young women from low-income backgrounds who will be the first in their families to graduate from high school.

She’s the First began with a YouTube video by two recent college graduates, Tammy Tibbett and Christine Brandt, who wanted to educate their fellow millennials about girls’ education in third world countries and the powerful impact that a finished and quality education can have. This video inspired other American young women, creating an online movement that eventually became a bona fide NGO. Jung, who is founding president of Wellesley’s chapter, explained that she first heard about She’s the First from a friend who runs a chapter at The College of New Jersey.

“The organization’s mission, values and goals aligned so closely with mine and those of Wellesley. After furthering researching the organization and pondering this serendipitous idea, I made a decision to lead this movement for equal and excellent education for women in countries lacking the quality of education that I have,” she said. “It only made sense to plant She’s the First at Wellesley, an institution highly dedicated to empowering females not only in the U.S. but all over the world.”

The movement’s success comes from a powerful platform—She’s the First’s official website outlines the sweeping benefits of educating females, explaining that, statistically, a woman “earns 20% more per year of schooling she finishes, is less likely to marry early and more likely to be in a healthy relationship, has fewer, healthier children, and changes the world around her for the better.”

Rather than targeting girls within the United States, She’s the First chooses to focus on girls’ education abroad based on the idea that those in developed nations ought to take advantage of their position and pay it forward by lifting up young women in nations without the same resources and opportunities.

“Academic education is an essential right – and also a privilege. But unfortunately, not everyone is guaranteed this basic right and privilege. In many countries around the world, girls are denied education and lack the guidance and tools to further develop as learners. I strongly believe that it is the responsibility of those who have education to help those who do not, and [to] work hard to promote growth in academics for those who cannot,” said Jung.

Today, the organization provides scholarships, mentorship and basic resources to high-potential women from low-income backgrounds in countries in Africa, Latin America and South Asia. The funds for these scholarships are raised by donors, fundraisers and especially by official college chapters of She’s the First like Wellesley’s.

“Members of STF campus chapters work together with STF Scholars around the world to actively learn about issues affecting women and girls on a global basis. Our local partner organizations connect with STF and each other in a knowledge-sharing network that makes them more powerful,” said Kwan, the vice president of Wellesley’s chapter.

Wellesley’s chapter has many fundraising ideas, including a 5k run and cupcake and care package sales for the holidays. They will also seek to build relationships with local libraries and public schools and create opportunities for officers and general members to directly educate the community about women’s empowerment in underdeveloped countries.

According to Jung, Wellesley’s chapter of She’s the First will hold at least two meetings a month and will organize volunteer events where all students are welcome to participate. “After all,” she added, “we are all advocates for equal women’s rights.”

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleWellesley’s first voice drive enables non-verbal individuals to embrace their identity
Next articleHolocaust service-learning trip fosters remembrance and cross-cultural connections

You may also like

Welcoming Wellesley’s Green Class of 2025

2020 Alumnae Achievement Awards Held Virtually; 3 Awardees Honored

Students Remember the Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

  • Why You Shouldn’t Read the “Bridgerton” Books, and What To R...
  • “Framing Britney Spears” heightens awareness on...
  • Welcoming Wellesley’s Green Class of 2025
  • 2020 Alumnae Achievement Awards Held Virtually; 3 Awardees H...
  • Wellesley, help financial aid students file taxes

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2021 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top