After saying sayonara to the disaster that was Friday night Biology-1, I decided that I wasn't going to waste my newfound freedom. An invite to train with WriteGirl had been sitting, starred, in my inbox for a few weeks, so I opened it and RSVP'd immediately.

I had first heard of WriteGirl while marching along somewhere in Downtown LA during Women's March way-back-when. I had just been plodding along with my, "We Deserve Better <3" sign when someone asked me if I was a writer. I said yes, occasionally, and they handed me a flyer and lured me to one of the white tented booths that lined one of the march's paths (the march was so huge it leaked into several streets, not just the one that was planned for the march). I was intrigued!

Women's March, right before the speeches.

I had just about given up hope that there was some kind of organization that rolled my love for writing in with my want to help others. On the east coast, where I had lived for 3 years, there had been plenty of opportunities with conferences, critique groups, workshops, etc. and so forth. I had tried to establish a Meetup Group in SoCal when I returned, but it fell through. So when I heard of WriteGirl, I definitely wanted to get involved. A coworker brought it up during a meeting, asking for volunteers, so I sent in my info.

I attended the training last Saturday, which was from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Armory Center of the Arts in my old stomping grounds, Pasadena, CA. I sat there with many other women who were interested in being involved as well, and participated in a training/presentation about what it meant to be a writing mentor. It is different than being a tutor, which is what I had pictured being a mentor was like. We're there to guide the girl's writing: to help them become a better developed version of the writer they are.

Our training session, with me in the front row (center of the photo). I met some awesome, inspirational writers, each one diverse in their experience and ready to help young girls become better writers! Photo via WriteGirl's Instagram.

WriteGirl's program targets at-risk girls in the Los Angeles area, most of whom are Latina/Hispanic and Black. We were told stories of how school counselors have told these girls that they aren't college material. Yet WriteGirl has a 100% success rate in getting their girls to college.

If I am chosen to help (which I hope I am), I will either be paired with a girl for One-on-One sessions where we meet once a week for about an hour to write, or I would participate in the monthly workshops where I may be paired with one girl or with a group of girls to do writing experiments. I am unable to participate in the In-Schools program, which goes to the schools to work with girls during the day, due to work commitments.

We were given this book featuring writing from the WriteGirl girls themselves. It was an impressive tome!

During the end of the day, we were given mini-interviews to determine our availability, and given the yearly published compilation filled with the girl's poems and freeform writing. I thumbed through the book as I waited for my interview, finding myself impressed with what I read. Some of the poems spoke to me directly, especially one that drew comparisons to sewing and societal expectations. These books are available for sale, so I strongly recommend you (my dear reader) picking up a few to show support.

I let my interviewer know the genres I am great with, but I also let her know that I do illustration and graphic design work as well, in case they need these skills for any upcoming projects. I volunteered for the Education and Communication teams, hoping to get a spot to help girls pursue their college dreams (just like I am doing now with myself!).

I was so inspired when I left that I returned home (after a trip to Whole Foods, of course, to stock up on yummy gluten free treats) to continue working on the short story I will be submitting to Brave New Girls Vol. 3.

If you would like to volunteer for WriteGirl, head over to their page!

In what ways do you use your experiences to help others? What volunteering experiences have you had while in school? How have they shaped you as a person?