Nicole Clark is an honor student and a junior at Marple Newtown High School in Broomall, PA. The oldest of four children, Nicole runs cross-country and indoor and outdoor track on the varsity track team. She was named MVP and “Most Outstanding Freshman’ in 2004. In 2005, Nicole completed KYW’s 39th annual new studies program and appeared on Philadelphia ABC’s “Youth Perspective” television show with news anchor, Rick Williams. That same year, she read about Girl Talk in CosmoGIRL!, and decided to start a chapter in her school. Nicole believes the Girl Talk experience has helped her become a stronger person.
Meredith Head is a senior in high school and Girl Talk Leader which gives her an outlet to use her leadership skills for a greater purpose. In middle school, Meredith was unsure of who she was. Growing up as an only child, she didn’t have brothers and sisters to lean on, learn from or share emotions with. As a Girl Talk Leader, she enjoys reaching out to other younger girls who need a big sister. She is proud to help shape the next generation of girls who will become beautiful young women.
Caroline Heidt is a senior at Deerfield-Windsor School and has been involved with Girl Talk for the past four years. As a freshman, Caroline attended Girl Talk meetings and realized the power of mentoring. When she moved on to high school, she knew she wanted to give back and become a Girl Talk Leader herself. Caroline has been very active in her school and community for the past three years as a cheerleader, starring in school musicals, participating in various clubs and being very active in her church and youth group as a counselor. She has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, the Sertoma Club and the American Cancer Society. She plans on attending Georgia College and State University of Milledgeville, GA in the fall of 2007. Caroline wants to stay involved with Girl Talk by helping to start and advise a chapter near her future school.
Kristen Karinshak is 18 years old and lives in Leesburg, VA. Three years ago she heard about the water problems in Burkina Faso, West Africa. It moved her so much that she knew she needed to do something to bring water to the villages there. She created Walking for Water, which is a nonprofit event that is held annually to raise money to build wells in Burkina. Kristen has won numerous awards including the American Eagle Live Your Life contest, the Loudoun Volunteer Services Student Volunteer of the Month and the FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) gold medal in the Illustrated Talk. She believes in Girl Talk because it is important for girls to be able to share and express their gifts and feelings with someone else in an open and safe environment. Kristen feels every girl should be honored, supported and acknowledged for their gifts that they bring into the world, however big or small.
Mary Catherine Kinney is a freshman at Kennesaw State University. She is the recipient of the 2005 National Girl Talk Leader of the Year Award and was a four-year Girl Talk Leader in high school. Mary Catherine was named Miss Teen Albany 2005 and because of her involvement with Girl Talk, based part of her platform on the importance of mentoring. Because of Girl Talk’s commitment to community service, she felt inspired to launch Georgia’s first “Becca’s Closet”, an organization that gathers and donates formal wear to students who do not have the resources to purchase it for themselves. Leading her Girl Talk chapter in high school was immensely rewarding for Mary Catherine and she is proud of the change that she witnessed within her middle school – girls now understand how to communicate and handle their feelings. Mary Catherine is a valuable member of the Girl Talk team and wants to continue her service throughout college.
Caleigh Lentz is currently a freshman in high school. I have been in Girl talk for the last four years. I attended my first meeting in the sixth grade and am now a leader. I have grown so much from Girl Talk, in ways such as getting more into school, gained confidence, and learned to THINK before I speak. I am so glad that I was able to have this program because I have learned so much and am now a totally different person. Girl Talk is a very important part of my life, I look forward to going to this every week and seeing the smiles on girl’s faces when they come into the room. I am also involved in dancing I have been in dancing since I was two years old and I absolutely love it. School is also a big part of my life because I have to work hard now so I can get into a very good college. Girl Talk has taught me a lot and, I am so glad I get to pass on what I have learned from it to other girls.
Grace Nixon is currently a freshman at Santa Clara University in California with goals of becoming a professional speaker after graduation. She hopes to major in Speaking Enterprises. Ever the speaker/theater queen, Grace is involved in her university’s debate team and competes in oral interpretation as well as devoting time to her position as a Student Ambassador and tour guide. After graduating from high school in 2004, Grace deferred college for a year to spearhead a fund raising campaign for Habitat for Humanity with her younger sister, Leah. As “The Ladybug Ladies”, Grace and Leah raised over $100,000 for their local Habitat for Humanity. Their campaign included giving dozens of speeches to service clubs, churches and organizations in their community, meeting for one-on-one presentations and writing more fund raising letters than they could count. Grace was honored by American Eagle’s “Live Your Life” contest and received national recognition as a young leader living out her dreams along with $25,000 towards her campaign for Habitat for Humanity.
Becca Robison is President and Founder of AstroTots (www.astrotots.org), a free science camp for girls ages four to ten. Because of AstroTots success, Becca was contacted by the White House and asked to speak at the youth events for the inauguration of President Bush to inspire other young people to get involved in service. As a young girl herself, Becca believes that Girl Talk forges friendships, gives girls life skills to deal with tough middle school emotional issues and turns girls who were once followers into community leaders who have the confidence to impact their world.
Emily Stubbs is currently a sophomore in high school. She attended her first Girl Talk meeting in seventh grade, but didn’t start attending weekly until the eighth grade. Since then, Emily has found confidence within herself through Girl Talk and it has given her a reason to stay on the right track in high school. As a Girl Talk Leader, Emily is a member of the Student Council and active in school clubs. Her favorite color is Sherbet Green, and dancing, especially twirling, is her favorite thing to do. She has been taking dance classes since the fourth grade and although dancing is very time consuming, it is one of her true passions. She is a hard worker and likes to push herself to the limits at summer camp. Through Girl Talk, she hopes to inspire other girls to “T.H.I.N.K.” 24/7 and to be themselves.
Mary Ashley Whitaker is a junior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. An aspiring nutritionist, Mary Ashley is involved with her school’s Student Nutrition and Wellness Advocates group and loves talking to people about healthy lifestyles. She wants to major in Nutrition, become a registered dietitian and start a nutrition counseling business. Her passions are dancing, community involvement, healthy eating, enjoying friends, exercising and shopping. Having moved four times while growing up, Mary Ashley experienced first-hand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of harassment, stalking and threats being “the new kids in school.” She is involved with Girl Talk because of her experiences and actively encourages girls to follow their dreams and get involved in community service. In high school, Mary Ashley was a cheerleader and participant in student government and continues to take ballet, tap and jazz classes.
Lanier Wright is originally from Thomaston, GA. She is a junior, majoring in Special Education at the University of Mississippi. Lanier is a member of the Associated Student Body where she serves as a Senator, and is on the Advisory Board for the School of Education at the University of Mississippi. Lanier has also been a wish granter for the nonprofit organization, Make-A-Wish Foundation for six years and has granted the wishes of 10 children with with life threatening medical conditions. She recently affiliated with the MidSouth chapter in Memphis, TN.
Lanier has been close friends with the Founder of Girl Talk, Haley Kilpatrick, since their middle school days. Lanier believes in Girl Talk because she has seen the difference it has made in Haley’s little sister’s life and in middle school girls’ lives where Girl Talk began in Albany, GA. Lanier remembers Haley talking about the different guest speakers for Girl Talk and the effect the program was having on all of the girls’ lives; some even having their grades improve. Lanier believes in the quote by Henry Ford, “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” “Haley has taken Girl Talk to a new level, and it can only go up from here,” said Lanier.