Costa Mesa, CA – Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and Girls Inc. of Orange County hosted a successful IgniteHER Girls Summit at Orange Coast College attended by 7th-11th grade girls from across Orange County.
“I was amazed by the incredible turn out of young girls eager to learn from and network with incredible women in our community,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine). “The purpose of this summit is to inspire these girls to reach their full potential and equip them with key skills to guide their way to success, but most importantly, we wanted to show them that the path to success is a unique journey for everyone, and their individual stories and experiences are what make them strong and resilient.”
The summit featured inspiring presentations from visionary community leaders and trailblazers. Keynote speaker Sirisha Bandla, an aeronautical engineer, commercial astronaut, and Virgin Galactic leader, captivated the audience with her journey into space on the Virgin Galactic Unity 22 spaceflight. Bandla made history as the second Indian-born woman to go to space and the fourth person of Indian descent ever to reach space.
"It was an honor to speak at the IgniteHer Summit, where I saw firsthand the enthusiasm and talent these girls possess," said Sirisha Bandla, Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations at Virgin Galactic. "It is crucial that we continue to provide them with opportunities, mentorship, and support to help guide them into the leaders of tomorrow."
The IgniteHER Girls Summit, a collaborative effort between Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and Girls Inc. of Orange County, aimed to help young girls realize their full potential. As the leading organization dedicated to addressing the multifaceted challenges facing girls today, Girls Inc. of Orange County demonstrated its leadership by bringing in experts to conduct workshops tailored to the specific issues girls encounter. These workshops were carefully designed to address the current needs and obstacles girls face:
- Negotiate Your Worth: This financial literacy workshop empowered participants to overcome mindset barriers around money and develop a positive relationship with finances.
- Celebrating Success: In this workshop, students learned to celebrate their successes and achievements, no matter how small, incorporating personal branding techniques.
- Fueling Your Future: Students envisioned their future selves and created action plans to turn their dreams into reality, focusing on entrepreneurship and goal-setting.
- Workforce Warrior: This career workshop taught students how to navigate the modern workplace's challenges and opportunities with confidence and resilience.
"The IgniteHER Girls Summit exemplifies the power of community and the incredible potential of our young girls. Seeing our future leaders come together to learn, grow, and be inspired by remarkable women like Sirisha Bandla and our panelists reaffirms our mission at Girls Inc. of Orange County,” said Lucy Santana, CEO of Girls Inc. of Orange County. “We are dedicated to equipping girls with the skills and confidence to break barriers and create their own unique paths to success. Together, we are fostering a generation of strong, smart, and bold girls who will change the world."
The event concluded with a dynamic panel discussion featuring four remarkable community leaders: Jennifer Friend, CEO of Project Hope Alliance; Tustin City Councilmember Letitia Clark; Jennifer Corona, Attorney; and Neena Master, Director of Labor Relations & Wellness for SoCalGas. These inspiring women shared resonating personal stories, and candid insights from their early years and the challenges they faced to becoming influential professionals. The panelists' heartfelt and empowering messages left the young girls motivated and equipped with actionable strategies to pursue their dreams and make a significant impact in their communities.