Through Girls Write Now, I was matched with a high school junior interested in writing. We meet once a week to work on writing projects together. Sometimes they include projects I dream up, and sometimes we work on her school assignments and applications for summer travel programs. Each month, we get together with the larger group to spend the afternoon writing together as part of a workshop.

I discovered Girls Write Now because an editor at the magazine where I work volunteered for the organization. I was looking for a mentoring opportunity because I believe consistent one-on-one relationships with adults are critical to helping young people in underserved communities realize their potential and connect to broader opportunities. Girls Write Now fosters a strong community of women, and the young writers I have met are extremely talented and motivated.

I have been working with my mentee for three months, and we've gotten off to a fabulous start. We connected well early on, and we've had a lot of fun together. I like the larger GWN community, but I've really enjoyed the time we've spent getting to know each other.