Confidence is a big issue facing young women today. It can stifle their creativity and deter strong leadership. I was such a person when Girls Inc. came into my life. At a young age my parents would call me chatterbox as I could talk anyone under the table. 

But by the time I reached 13, that girl who talked on forever was just a distant memory. Law and politics always interested me at a young age, but I was under the impression that my opinion meant little as I was just a 15-year-old girl. 

In grade 10, I enrolled in Girls Inc.’s Girls Government program which was an opportunity to get young women involved in politics. Girls Inc. did this by giving us a hands-on and engaging environment to learn about politics. We met with different Mayors, MPs, MPPs and even notable leaders in the community. It was interesting because not only did we meet with all these amazing female leaders at the provincial and national levels but we also met with amazing women right here in our own community. 

One of my most striking memories from that time was meeting with Kathleen Wynne at Queens Park. Can you imagine a bunch of teenage girls talking to one of the most important female politicians in Ontario? Obviously, I was nervous, and I wanted to ask questions. But something stopped me: what if it was a dumb question? 

Well somehow, I worked up some false sense of confidence and ended up asking questions. Funny thing is I don’t actually remember what questions I asked but I do remember what I learned from asking the questions. Faking confidence. It doesn’t matter if you doubt yourself as long as you talk, walk and act as though you don’t. 

This is why Girls Inc. is so important because it’s not just the obvious lessons you learn about systemic discrimination and stereotypes targeted towards women, but it also teaches you subconscious lessons about yourself. 

After Girls Government, I have been involved with Girls Inc. in various ways. Thanks to them, I was able to participate in a leadership program called Bootcamp for Brains, get a co-op with our MPP Steve Clark, and participate in a Provincial Model Parliament of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 

Girls Inc. has been with me on my journey from learning how to fake confidence to actually having it.