That’s Alina Guyon, a West Seattleite chosen by the United Nations Foundation to be a Teen Advisor for Girl-Up. She is one of 20 girls chosen, and the only girl from Washington State. More about what she’s doing:

Girl-Up advocates for adolescent girls in developing nations; they focus on the countries where it is hardest to be a girl. They stress the importance of education for girls, health and safety.

To become a teen advisor, a girl first needs to be nominated by someone from outside her family. A letter is submitted to describe why the applicant would be a good candidate, and describes her past experience advocating for girls in developing nations. Girl-Up then selects 100 girls to complete an extensive application, including essays, videos and photos.

Why focus on adolescent girls? Statistics show that investing in girls between the ages of 12-15 has tremendous long-term benefits. A girl who is educated is less likely to be married as a child; she will have a better income and can provide for her family. She is more likely to value education for her children, which breaks the cycle of extreme poverty. Adolescent girls are agents of change.

Alina’s first task was to travel to Washington DC for a United Nations Leadership Summit. She even met First Lady Michelle Obama after her talk supporting Girl-Up. In the coming year, Alina will advocate for policy change on behalf of adolescent girls, meet with our state representatives and senators, and encourage students to start Girl-Up clubs. Girl-Up clubs meet to raise awareness of girls rights and support girls who need it the most.

If you are interested in learning more, go to www.girlup.org. Contact sherylguyon@gmail.com if you have any questions or are interested in starting a Girl-Up club.