An Event Created and Hosted by the Binghamton University She's the First Chapter (now Girl Rising Chapter) By Chloe Chen, Ariana Eisner, Cloe Lefkon, Morgan Merritt, Amanda Nilsen, Fiona Reohr, Zoe Rodriguez and Christina Ye. The Beginnings of FemFest Binghamton University’s She’s the First Chapter (now Girl Rising Chapter) prides itself on the women-based community that they have fostered through fundraisers, bonding events, and volunteering in the broader community to give

By Faith Habu, former Girl Rising Student Ambassador “If the opportunity to greatness seems distant, start small”, said Napoleon Hill. Quotes people say are overrated—but not for me. They are windows to a world I am familiar with, an opening to someone else’s lens similar to mine. A few years ago, I was another girl filled with dreams, and that dream was to empower girls and children, especially vulnerable communities. What started from late-night imaginations, writing down i

by Rabia Kamran, Girls Advisory Council, for International Day of Play, June 11, 2026 When I think of childhood, I do not first remember classrooms, exams, or report cards. I remember play. I remember long afternoons spent inventing games with friends and cousins, turning ordinary spaces into entire worlds. A living room became a castle, a street became a race track, and a simple ball could keep us entertained for hours. At the time, it felt like nothing more than fun. Lookin

by Anoushka Poddar, Girls Advisory Council, for International Day of Play, June 11, 2026 I still remember the games I made up as a child, imagining different fantastical scenarios and acting them out with my friends. We were astronauts, lost in space after the cords connecting us to the shuttle suddenly snapped, and another day, we were actresses, strutting down Beverly Hills with yippity chihuahuas in our purses. One day, we were mermaid princesses on a quest to find the mag