Back to School Edition: We See What You Did This Summer
We see it - and we're cheering!
As we head back to school it's fun to take a look back at a few Être summer stars and see how they changed not just their worlds, but the world around them. From degrees earned and awards won to books published and music dropped, girls today had a summer so bright we needed shades to watch.
Since the day I launched Être I have loved the how it started / how it's going aspect - marveling at what girls have accomplished since we first met. Here are six summer stars whose names you won't forget and whose progress you'll want to follow:
Alena McQuarter (15)
The youngest person of color ever to be admitted to medical school in the US at 13, this ASU Dean's Medalist just graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences and a concentration in biomedical sciences. The founder of Brown STEM Girl and a member of Être's Êxecutive Board, Alena starts her PhD this fall studying virology and infectious disease. Stay tuned for her TED-Ed talk coming up in NYC on October 20th and follow her here to watch her change - and cure - the world.
Pepper Persley (13)
This teen sports reporter and newly-published author is based in New York City and hosts the Dish with Pepper Podcast. She started her journalism career at age 8, joined the Être Êxec Board at 12, and spent this summer reporting for ESPN, MLB, USA Basketball and SEC Football...oh, and she hosted the Nike Orange Carpet at WNBA All-Star Weekend! Adding to her interviews with icons like A'ja Wilson, Sylvia Fowles, Chari Hawkins, Renee Montgomery, Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark, this summer Pepper sat down with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, Alissa Pili, Diana Taurasi and more - follow her here to get the score and a court-side seat.
Cassie Glow (18)
Cassie is a professional voice actress based in Florida, whose work you may know from voicing the role of Kid Cass in the Disney Channel Series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (they used her actual name), Molly Jo in the Disney Channel Animated Series, Amphibia, and Kamryn from the Dreamworks Animated TV show Madagascar: A Little Wild. Cassie and her sister Sabrina - together known as The Glow Girls - have worked for clients like Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, LEGO, Cartoon Network, NBC/Universal, Amazon Prime, Fisher Price and Mattel, and they did the voiceover work for this summer video on Être's confidence stats! What else? Cassie spent the summer readying herself to start at Savannah College of Art and Design later this month! Follow her here to hear it all.
Celai West (16)
At 10 years old Celai became the youngest model to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week. By 7 she had already entered entrepreneurship with her own T-shirt company, so at 14 she published a book and launched a confidence coaching academy for girls. Now at 15, Celai spent this summer discussing her new line of empowering journals, each designed as a "testament to the beauty of representation – because every story deserves to be heard." "Black Girl Magic isn't just a phrase," Celai continues, "it's a celebration of resilience, strength, and the unique magic that every Black girl/woman possesses." Follow Celai here to follow her epic (role) model journey.
Khloe Thompson (16)
Founding her non-profit Khloe Kares at the age of 8 to address the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, Khloe Thompson has been a game-changing philanthropist since the day we met. Also an author, actor and producer - watch her break down entrepreneurship in this clever Être TED-Ed Talk - Khloe spent this summer breaking new ground on the creative arts center she is building in Ghana and accepting an EY 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year Award! Follow her here to see her live her heartfelt mantra You can be the change at any age in real-time.
Chloé Bryan (18)
An original Être Board member, Chloé joined us at our first boardroom visit to Google at 12 and has been making magic ever since. A singer (one of the youngest cast members on Broadway at 10 with the cast of School of Rock), actor (recently seen in Amazon Prime's Hunters) and writer, Chloé also appeared alongside Michelle Obama in a Global Girls Alliance PSA. Called "a dynamic and multi-faceted young artist" by The Boston Globe, Chloé was all about her music this summer - and her first single Erotes drops later this week! For more about this musical journey and freshman year of college in Paris this fall, follow her here.
Stunning - one and all.
When these six head back to school, they'll have exciting stories to share and impactful steps to show. And isn't that part of the feeling we all want each fall? As the leaves turn and blank notebooks await, may we all take a page from these young role models and gain a renewed sense of passion and purpose.
To quote one of the change-makers highlighted here: You can be the change at any age.
They are not too young.
And not one of us is too old.
Looking forward and happy (almost) fall,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: Three fall dates with next gen game-changers you won't want to miss: Friday, October 11th - Day of the Girl (stay tuned and get ready to join us), Sunday, October 20th - Être's first live (and live-streamed) TED-Ed event, and Friday, November 8th - National STEM/STEAM Day (wait to see where we're going)!
