Pro Humanitate just got global. Last semester, three Wake Forest students brought Girl Up, a UN campaign that aims to help girls in developing nations, to campus. Meet the leading ladies behind the campus organization: Melissa Gauthier (sophomore), Carolina Saca (sophomore) and Sara Borchers (freshman).
*Sara (left) and Carolina (right) are two of the three founders of Girl Up on Wake’s campus
Carolina has been working with Girl Up since high school and convinced Melissa (her freshman roomie) to help her start a chapter here at Wake. Talk about roomie bonding! Carolina put on a benefit concert through Girl Up, and when she got to college, she really wanted to keep it going. After a slow start, plans for Girl Up began to take shape; and, finally, by the fall of Melissa and Carolina’s sophomore year, they hosted their first club meeting. The duo recruited Sara to help jump-start the club while Melissa is abroad in Chile this semester.
Although Girl Up emphasizes hardships abroad, the three recognize that young girls are struggling with similar problems here in our Winston-Salem community. Carolina and Sara’s goal this semester is to start a mentoring club at underprivileged schools in the area to encourage girls to have a healthy body image, avoid peer pressure, and achieve academic goals.
So, where do these inspiring ladies get their motivation from?
Carolina grew up in South America where the social gap between the educated and the non-educated was and still is very prominent. Her dad always told her about the importance of education; so she wants future generations to know how rewarding it can be if you educate girls. “If you raise up one girl, you raise up the whole family,” said Carolina.
*Melissa promoting Girl Up outside the Pit
Melissa has always been interested in non-profit work. She doesn’t know what kind of involvement she will have with Girl Up after college, but she hopes that she will be able to inspire a younger generation to continue giving back to others.
Sara’s best friend was involved in Girl Up in high school, so she was familiar with the organization. Additionally, Sara’s family is from India and she goes there every other year to visit. The issues that Girl Up addresses are very real to her because she has personally witnessed them in the slums and orphanages in India. She knows that in her future she wants to keep some aspect of giving back and service in her life.
If you want to get involved or find out any more information about Girl Up and their events, you can visit their Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram (girlupwfu), or you can join the mailing list (girlupwfu@gmail.com).