I recently attended a dinner to raise awareness about Girl Up. I met powerful, inspirational women who are dedicated to helping adolescent girls and closing the gender gap.

This Thanksgiving, our Teen Adviors share their thoughts on what they’re grateful for!

In our first in-person 2012-2013 Teen Advisor meeting in New York, I had the opportunity to meet 15 wonderful Teen Advisors, be inspired by riveting speakers, and reinvigorate my desire to create global equality for my counterparts.

This year, Girl Up selected 16 of the country’s most inspiring young leaders to represent the campaign and live up to its motto of being both “for girls” AND “by girls.” Each class of Teen Advisors not only represents Girl Up, but also the diversity of girls in the United States.

I would have never expected to be in the presence of such amazing global advocates in my entire life, let alone at such an early age!

In honor of International Day of the Girl and in anticipation of 10x10 feature film, Girl Rising, advocates from all over the world spoke about their firsthand experiences unleashing the power of girls’ education. 

I came into the Pennsylvania Conference for Women not knowing what to expect. I simply wanted to promote Girl Up as a “local leader” for the Young Women’s Program, but I left knowing the steps to success.

Yesterday the Clinton Global initiative drew to a close after three very long days. I am so exhausted I could probably sleep until the end of the week, but I cannot explain how much it was worth it. The knowledge I have gained in these three days will surely last me a lifetime.

New York City is “the city that never sleeps,” but these few days have been particularly hectic, in a positive way. Dignitaries and diplomats are filling the city, working to make change.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to represent Girl Up on a panel called “Connecting Girls Around the World” at the Social Good Summit in New York City.  It was an honor to be on the panel with such powerful and motivated women.

To say I was nervous for the start of the day is a bit of an understatement. The Clinton Global Initiative? Me? A 17-year-old high schooler? However, as the lights dimmed and the event started, I was reminded of why I was there.

Recently I had the awesome opportunity to attend the Do Something Awards, a ceremony honoring the nation’s best, civic-minded youths who are making a difference in the world!

On a recent trip to Mumbai, India, I met with 8th and 9th grade students at the India Educational Society Digambar Patkar School. We had a great conversation with the students about our interests, educational experiences, and goals for the future!

We're hosting our first ever Google+ Hangout! Today starting at 12 pm ET we're chatting with our very own Teen Advisors and several adolescent refugee girls with the non-profit GirlForward. Watch the livestream here!

I recently had the amazing opportunity to host an Action Lab at a conference organized by the Women’s Funding Network. I was the only teen girl who participated.

Our fathers play an integral role in shaping our lives, and that is true around the world.

Happy Fathers’ Day, Papa. Thank you for everything that you have done for me and taught me.

My dad was my first fan, always telling me I had the unique ability to do something different. He supported me in everything I wanted to do and paved my path to success lined with morals and integrity.

I learned two lessons from my second Girl Up event. People are easily inspired by the Girl Up mission, but first they need information about the campaign, inspiration to tell others about it, and most importantly see the passion that lies within to help girls around the world!

Since I was four years old, it has been my mother and me against the world. So, my mother is my biggest role model and the most influential person in my life.

My mother's belly was rapidly expanding. “Is it a boy?” many would ask. My mother would reply, “No, it's a girl.” She recalls the look on the faces of my aunts – total concern.

Mother’s Day is a day when the whole world stops to commemorate and thank women in their lives who have raised their daughters and made them the people they are.

I hosted my Girl Scout Gold Award at my local Boys and Girls Club and promoting Girl Up was one of my main priorities! I taught three global awareness workshops for a group of 25 girls, educating them on major global issues.

In this March blog series about phenomenal women, we have seen great examples of game-changers – women who have made positive changes in our world. We admire these women because they encourage us that girls do, in fact, run the world. And they run it well.

There aren’t a lot of famous funny women. Throughout history, comedy has been a field dominated by men. In 2010, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was awarded to Tina Fey, and rightly so. I admire Ms. Fey for a multitude of reasons, perhaps the most prominent being that in a world where looks are everything, she has garnered praise and success based on her intellect and comedic genius.