Thursday, December 12, 2024
Girls Inc. of Long Island hosted its annual luncheon on Nov. 7, an event that celebrates the organization’s mission to inspire and empower young girls. The combination celebration and fundraiser honored several of the organization’s key achievements and awarded scholarships to deserving young women.
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate all that we are able to accomplish, all that we’re doing,” Renee Flagler, executive director of Girls Inc. of Long Island, said. “It’s also an opportunity to communicate to attendees the importance of the work, what we’re currently focusing on, and how they can not only celebrate but support the mission.”
Five girls were honored at the luncheon, at the Heritage Club in Bethpage, where they were recognized for their personal growth and the skills they have gained through the organization’s programs.
Danie Henry, a senior at Uniondale High School and Girl Inc. of Long Island’s Girl of the Year, was among the honorees. As Girl of the Year, she will be a national brand ambassador for the organization, and spend the year as a member of the Teen Advocacy Council.
“Not only do they learn how to advocate,” Flagler said of the girls on the council, “but they are able to actively get involved with advocacy as it pertains to gender equity and girls’ rights.”
In her acceptance speech for her award, Henry expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of the Girls Inc. community, highlighting how the program has taught her crucial lessons about things like budgeting and insurance, and helped her improve her personal and professional relationships.
“I’m so grateful for this opportunity to be presented this award,” she told the Herald after the event. “There was a lot of girls empowerment in the room that day, and a lot of the people that were in that room were people that are supporters of me moving up and growing as a person.”
Henry, who has been involved with Girls Inc. for three years, also credited her mentor, Nellie Washington, the program coordinator who runs the meetings, for her growth.
“She is the reason why I was even able to be presented that award, and she is really someone that got to see me grow over these three years,” she said, “so I owe it all to Miss Nellie.”
The luncheon also featured the presentation of $2,000 scholarships to three high school seniors. The scholarships are intended to ease the financial burden of college expenses by helping girls cover a range of costs, including application fees, transportation and school supplies.
“There are often costs that come in around tuition that are not necessarily part of your tuition bill,” Flagler said, “and so it’s critical to make sure that (the girls) have the funding to do that.”
Alexandra Aliu, another Uniondale High senior, was one of the scholarship recipients. She has been a member of Girls Inc. since her sophomore year, and she talked about her experience with the program, describing how it has helped her become more confident and open.
“I feel like it’s opened me up more, and it’s, like, giving me skills that I need,” she said, “like emotional resilience and self- acceptance and stuff like that.”
Aliu also expressed her gratitude to Washington for listening to her and advocate for her, and for the “eye-opening” experiences she has had learning about finances and law.
Two other girls — Nancy Contreras and Jaeda Quinones — received scholarships at the luncheon, and Farihah Chowdhury was honored as Alumna of the Year for “exemplifying” the lessons she learned during her time in Girls Inc., Flagler said.
With nearly 75 chapters across the country and five in New York, Girls Inc. offers programming that fosters the development of “strong, smart and bold” young women, Flagler said.
“We’re providing girls with the tools, education, knowledge, information, access and resources to reach their full potential and become a new generation of leaders,” she said.
Girls Inc. of Long Island will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2025, marking two decades of fostering leadership and advocacy among girls in the region.
