Yamilhee's Story

Girls' LEAP is empowering girls who discover a community of women and female peers who support them. 90% of program graduates believe there are women and female peers who care about them and are invested in their success.

Meet Yamilhee: She is super excited to become a Teen Mentor this Summer.

I was just finishing 10^th grade this spring when I first heard about the Teen Mentor Program at Girls’ LEAP through a friend.  She told our whole group of friends that it was an experience we wouldn't want to miss out on!  I love learning new things and then teaching them to other people because sharing knowledge is a very significant thing to me. 

I am very interested in self-defense; I believe it is a skill that is crucial to anyone, not just women and young girls. It's empowering and a lesson that is definitely very valuable.  I thought mentoring younger girls would be awesome!  No matter the age, self-defense is something all must be informed about, and I know I can work very well with kids younger than me.  This is my first real job, learning and imparting my knowledge and getting paid, it doesn't get any more awesome than that!

I am definitely interested in building my own confidence because in this cruel world that will swallow you whole, confidence is key, and it's important to stick up for yourself and what you believe in.  I would really like to hear stories of girls from everywhere and share my stories.  I like digging deeper and getting a lot of questions answered.  

I am in my school’s Drama Club and I am a triple threat, I sing, dance, and act.  I also love to write and read stories.  I love watching South Korean or Taiwanese dramas, and listening to their music, because I love learning about new cultures and experiencing them.  Last year I hosted a Japanese student here and soon I hope to go to China to study as part of my high school’s exchange program.  I enjoy just learning about other cultures and having them learn about ours.  It’s a beautiful thing.

I am super excited to work as a Teen Mentor this summer and I'm looking forward to a lot of new information, lessons and memories.  I was asked if I was nervous about starting the program and being a mentor to younger girls.  I believe it'll be a thrill!  I've sung in front of a crowd of over 200 people, I still get nervous but it has become easier to handle, and slowly to myself I begin to ask "what is being nervous?"  Young girls have so much energy and so much fun, and it'll be easy for me to relate to them since I am someone close to their age.

Part of the interview process for this job was to go through an intense training program.  Although it was a lot of time and took a lot of strength, the process was very insightful, and I loved the experience.  Having this job prepares me for many things, one being able to be on time, have a responsibility and following through with all of that.

This summer as a Teen Mentor at Girls’ LEAP I hope to grow and develop within myself and help empower other girls to do the same.  I want to help them stand up for themselves and what they believe in.  With the support of my family who are constantly pointing me in the right direction this is another step in getting me to follow my dreams thoroughly and wholeheartedly. 

I think Girls’ LEAP is program that helps empower young women and I cannot wait to hopefully be a part of the chain to change lives even if it's in the smallest way possible.

You can donate to Girls' LEAP so more girls like Yamilhee be part of this community.