I was visiting colleges and the first campus I visited was touting that they had over 600 clubs and activities available. They also told us that if you could not find a club to meet your needs, then you could start your own. I would later find that every other campus I visited had the same policy. My mother asked me if I started a club what would I create. This was the birth of Girls Encouraging Math and Science, we affectionately nicknamed GEMS…

My hope is that other girls/women across the country will want to create a similar support system in their schools and communities. Your organization does not have to look like ours, but there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. You can share our work, research, challenges and experiences, then make it your own.