Her Campus had the opportunity this week to sit down with Ishani Mathur and Emily Fletcher, co-presidents of She’s the First here at the University of Michigan. Ishani is a public health major from Highland Park, Illinois while Emily is a business major from Ann Arbor. She’s the First is a national non-profit that provides scholarships to girls in low-income countries.
Her Campus: What is She’s the First?
Emily Fletcher: STF is a national non-profit organization that funds scholarships for girls in low-income countries so they can be the first in their families to graduate from secondary school. By providing young girls with the tools they need to be successful, they can break their families out of the cycle of intergenerational immobility.
Ishani Mathur: Each scholar is provided with enough money to cover tuition, transportation and books to ensure that she is able to obtain a high school education and be the first in her family to do so. Providing a scholarship for a single girl costs $400.
How does the Michigan chapter contribute to the national She’s the First network?
EF: The national STF organization currently supports 923 scholars, and STF at the University of Michigan is usually assigned 5 scholars a year. This means that 100% of the money we raise through our fundraising events goes directly to those 5 scholars’ tuition, and we communicate with them throughout the year.
IM: We regularly receive updates about their education as we exchange letters with the girls as a way of keeping touch and learning about each other’s interests outside of school.
What made you want to join this organization?
IM: I joined this organization because this cause is very important to me. I’ve always thought that the idea of girls not being allowed to go to school in certain parts of the world makes no sense– why would you sideline such a significant part of the world’s population, with so much potential? I’ve always been pushed to prioritize my studies and that, combined with access to a university like the University of Michigan, has made my career goals achievable and realistic. Everyone should be able to create realistic goals and opportunities for themselves, and I believe that education is the way to do that.
EF: There are many great non-profit organizations on campus, but something unique about STF is that you can see the impact you are having on a more personal level. We know the names, ages, interests, and aspirations of the girls that we provide scholarships to, so STF is really a way to battle gender inequality and intergenerational immobility and see the results right in front of you. I really enjoy learning about the girls we help get to school, and it feels like making a big impact in a small way.
What is your favorite memory of your time in She’s the First?
IM: Being in STF has provided me with so many memories of collaborating with driven, ambitious people that are dedicated to girls’ education. My favorite memories have been those of the awareness events where we as a club have had productive, engaged discussions about issues that were unknown to us.
EF: My favorite memory was our Annual Winter Gala last semester. Every winter semester, STF holds a large fundraising gala with food, raffles, performances, and speakers. This year the members were much more involved with the planning and execution of the event, and it turned out to be really fun and educational, while raising a lot of money for scholarships.
Where do you see the Michigan chapter going in the next few years?
EF: I still see so much potential for growth in our STF chapter. Some of our goals as an Executive Board include: taking on more scholars, increasing our gender diversity (we are 90% women), and making our mission more well-known on campus.
IM: Other than that, I would love to see our members come up with creative new fundraiser events, and maybe even some day get the opportunity to meet the girls we provide scholarships for.
How can students get involved or learn more?
IM: To learn more, members can come to our mass meetings on 9/13 and 9/14 from 6-7 in 3463 Mason Hall. We also have biweekly meetings on Tuesday nights from 7-8, starting 9/26.
EF: We have a lot of opportunities for members to be involved and lead projects in finance, marketing, event planning, networking, and awareness. To learn more or to join STF, email Lauren Rollins (our Organizations Chair) at lrollins@umich.edu.