WHY EMPOWER HER?

Growing up, my mother would tell me stories about her acclimation to American culture after immigrating from South Korea as a young girl. Fighting off bullies who teased her slanted eyes and struggling to pay the bills at home, my mother could not afford the simple thought of college when she could barely afford to replace her ripped sneakers. The luxury of dreaming for higher education was stripped away because her basic needs were left unsatisfied. Although her stories bruise my heart, my mother's journey inspires me to take ahold of the power that education has to offer, a value I felt was only necessary to integrate in our cause.

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After attending a physician's panel on health disparities, I was motivated to join the Minority Association of Pre-health Students (MAPS) at LMU where after a year of membership was elected Co-president for two consecutive terms.  I also participated in LMU's Alternative Breaks Cuba, a social justice immersion trip focused on education and health care. In these programs, I learned about existing health disparities and potential threats to inequitable care or education. Most importantly however, these programs encouraged me to internalize my ability to enact change, which then gave me the courage to apply for the Donald A. Strauss Scholarship in April 2017.

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I became connected with Fabio from Reto Juvenil Internacional (RJI) through Loyola Marymount's Center for Service and Action. By working closely with RJI, I learned that girls just like me were using thin pieces of cloth, cut from old t-shirts and bed sheets while on their period. Many skipped school because their PMS symptoms were too painful and failed to have effective ways to alleviate it.

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As I reflected on these issues, personal values, and my own privilege, I realized how much I took for granted the proper health education, resources, and people to support me throughout these new changes. Without them, I would not have experienced those pivotal moments of my life, which have shaped the person I am today. I cultivated a sense of duty to the young girls in Belize for although the details differed, the theme of unmet basic needs and limitations felt all too familiar to my mother's. 

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In the years to come, I look forward to watching this organization grow- to equip women with the knowledge and resources to live life uninterrupted and ultimately, Empower HER.  

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- Marisa Cariño, March 2018

Steve Maraboli

"The empowered woman is powerful beyond measure and beautiful beyond description."