Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate mothers around the world, and on this day I cannot help but think about the incredible impact my mother has had on me, my life and my development into a strong, young woman.

Do you know someone who’s got what it takes to be a Girl Up Teen Advisor? Or maybe you are the girl for the job? May 1-31, you can nominate a girl to serve a year-long commitment beginning this September as an advisor for Girl Up.

Imagine you could help solve one of the biggest problems facing the world today, and it could be solved simply by utilizing the determination and responsibility of a woman. That is exactly what Professor Muhammad Yunus, the globally recognized 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, did.

"I know now that I can be a change agent, a force of change," Vivian, one of the many passionate, empowered young women we met today told us.

“When I was aware of my rights, I realized that I didn’t have to accept the violence anymore,” Hilda, one of the participants of Abriendo Opportunidads in Totopicatan shared with me.

If a midwife helps deliver a boy, she will be paid more than if she helps a deliver a girl. This fact, which was shared with us by Maria Machicado of UN Women, stuck with us throughout our meetings this morning with Guatemalan government officials and UN agencies.

I am so excited to be joining Girl Up on their observation trip to Guatemala. There are three things I look forward to most.

Have you ever found yourself at a loss for fundraising ideas for an organization or cause that you are passionate about?

There are more than 1.2 billion adolescents aged 10-19 in the world today, making up the largest youth generation in history. This weekend I got to spend time with 16 of them.

One of the highlights of Teen Advisor Weekend was a visit with six influential women who serve on the board of Women in Film, an organization dedicated to helping women achieve their highest potential in the entertainment industry.

Ariel Graham of JCPenney’s campaign Squares & Streets came to visit Girl Up’s Teen Advisor Weekend in Los Angeles. Her visit ncapsulated what a partnership with Girl Up can bring to both the company and the cause.

As the most prominent human rights lawyer in Zimbabwe, Beatrice Mtetwa has dedicated her life to defending the rights of journalists from all over the world. This is not an easy feat under the oppressive, 33-year dictatorship in the country.

Inspiration. Courage. Dedication. These are the words that come to mind when you think of a six-time Olympic medalist. Rebecca Soni is all of that and much more!

The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act is something to celebrate, especially because it includes language that makes ending child marriage in developing countries a U.S. foreign policy priority.

Even though I considered myself a compassionate, politically aware person, awake to the problems of people in the developing world, as a young person, I probably thought I could never really help. But this weekend, I got to meet three inspiring young women, who knew that they could.

Teen Advisor YingYing Shang shares her mother's story of struggle to success as part of the Global Mom Relay to help women and girls!

As Teen Advisor to Girl Up, I'm proud to say that my narrative is that of a girl who believes in the power of other girls and women. I played my part this past week when I lobbied the offices of Pennsylvania Congressmen and Senators.

Today is a day I will never forget. Today, I witnessed history that affects the lives of women & girls everywhere.

The realization that many young girls residing in the city of Cartagena, Colombia have already had a child before even reaching high school is mindblowing.

When I was little, every time my family shopped at IKEA, I would ask my parents for a canopy bed. I thought canopies where what covered princesses as they slept, a luxury that I deserved, too.

"If we want girls to succeed, they first need access to life." Teen Advisor YingYing guest blogs for the Nothing But Nets campaign on malaria's life-threatening impact on children.

I recently attended a sneak peek screening featuring the soon-to-be-released film, Girl Rising. It was inspiring to see girls who truly exhibit Girl Up’s motto, “While we are strong, together we are stronger.”

Through the Global Good Challenge, people have the chance to compete for amazing prizes, such as a trip to Africa, meeting Lady Gaga, or visiting the set of “The Celebrity Apprentice” by taking action on important issues.

America is a nation of immigrants, the great "melting pot," I thought. Shouldn't Asian-Americans be a vital and indispensable ingredient, whether we are newly immigrated or second generation, whether we speak grammatical or broken English? So why weren't we treated with respect?

Recently, I had the opportunity to see President Sirleaf of Liberia speak at Columbia University (where I am a freshman) as part of our World Leaders Forum.