DANVERS — Jomaira Salas Pujols, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University, credits Girls Inc. of Lynn with changing her life.
Salas Pujols, the child of poor, Dominican immigrants and a first-generation college student, was the alumna speaker at the Girls Inc. of Lynn 30th annual celebration luncheon, held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston hotel in Danvers.
“It really is an honor to come back and talk about the organization that changed my life and changed my family’s life,” Salas Pujols said. “Here’s an example of what happens when little girls have programs that nurture them and spark their curiosity and tell them they’re not too small for the world.”
Girls Inc. of Lynn, a nonprofit organization, honored Robert Rivers, chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank, also honored, with its Strong, Smart and Bold Award. The 2018 Girl Hero scholarship winners, funded in part by the Moyer Family Scholarship Fund, are Adedunmola Praise Adewale, Lia Funicella and Aryana Richardson.
“I love this day,” said Deb Ansourlian, executive director of Girls Inc. of Lynn, which strives to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold. “I think we should declare this Girls Inc. Day … because you’re all here to celebrate the accomplishments of our girls.”
Salas Pujols, a Lynn Classical High School graduate, joined Girls Inc. of Lynn when she was in the sixth grade after her family came to the United States. She said the organization supported her through the hardships of her life.
She remembers getting a ride home one night from a staff member, Sarah, because her mother had to work late. Salas Pujols said she and Sarah discussed a woman who had come into a workshop earlier that day and had a Ph.D.
At the time, she recalls that she didn’t know what a Ph.D. was, but after it was explained that it was the highest degree someone could get, Salas Pujols looked at Sarah and said she was going to get her Ph.D one day. Sarah responded “of course you will,” something Salas Pujols said she’s never forgotten.
Today, Salas Pujols is a third-year Ph.D. student, whose research focuses on higher education, race, and the academic achievement of girls of color. Last spring she became a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Fellow.
Salas Pujols credits her experience as a Girls Inc. peer leader in helping her earn a full-tuition scholarship to Bryn Mawr College — where she graduated cum laude — from the Posse Foundation.
She remembers her mother’s screams, who was listening on the other end of the phone, when she learned she had received the scholarship. Less than eight months later, her mom died from a heart attack. She said Girls Inc. helped her through that hardship and with transitioning to college.
“I tell you this not to tell you a story of resilience,” Salas Pujols said. “I tell you this to tell you what happens when a little girl, poor, black, an immigrant like me, gets the support that she needs to make it through life’s challenges.”
Ansourlian said the day was also about celebrating and honoring Eastern Bank, which has a long-standing partnership with Girls Inc. When Girls Inc. made the decision to purchase and renovate what is now the Demakes Center on High Street, Eastern Bank was with the organization every step of the way.
Under Rivers’ leadership and in celebration of Eastern Bank’s 200th anniversary in 2018 and its first depositor, Rebecca Sutton, Eastern is focusing on the advancement of women in its advocacy and corporate philanthropy this year.
The Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation will commit $1.8 million in Targeted Grants to 180 community-based organizations throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, focused on addressing a wide range of issues that disproportionately affect women and girls.
Rivers said Eastern Bank was truly honored by the recognition. The bank has provided more than $300,000 in philanthropic support to Girls Inc. of Lynn over the years.
Rivers told the story of Sutton, the bank’s first customer. Her late husband’s attorney made a $100 deposit on her behalf in 1818. He said women were not allowed to conduct bank transactions at the time.
He said many things have improved for women since 1818, but there are still issues that disproportionately affect women, including pay inequity, a lack of women in senior management, assault and domestic violence. He said it was important to celebrate the much-needed work of Girls Inc.
Rivers also told the story of his mother, who was named valedictorian at her high school in Dorchester 60 years ago. The school would give out full-tuition scholarships to its valedictorians, but the catch was, there had never been a female one before.
The school opted to give the scholarship to the second-highest scorer, a male student, deciding the investment in a girl wasn’t worth it. But he said his grandmother was a force to be reckoned with and his mother ended up getting a full scholarship from the school as well.
“While we cannot go back in time to right the wrongs to which Rebecca Sutton and Mary Rivers and too many others have been subjected, we can help to make the world a better, safer, fairer place … for all of the young women here at Girls Inc.,” Rivers said.
Praise Adewale, a senior at KIPP Academy and a 2018 Girl Hero scholarship winner, said she came to the United States from Nigeria when she was 14 years old. She didn’t talk because people made fun of her accent. She said she sat alone at school and felt like she didn’t belong.
But the summer of her freshman year, she decided things were going to be different. A friend invited her to join Girls Inc. and she remembers feeling welcomed.
Adewale said Girls Inc. gave her the courage and confidence to speak up, meet new friends and put herself out there. While people still make fun of her accent, she said it no longer bothers her. She aspires to be a cardiothoracic surgeon and plans on attending a four-year college and and majoring in biology on a pre-med track.
“Girls Inc. helped me to become a bold, confident and strong black woman,” she said.
Funicella, a senior at Lynn English High School and a 2018 Girl Hero, said she would describe herself as alone and insecure when she joined Girls Inc. — she’s been with the organization for six years.
She said Girls Inc. changed her life. Today, she’s courageous and the friendships she’s made have been life-changing. She’s become confident and has multiple skills, such as public speaking and teaching, that will help her with her goal to become an elementary school teacher.
Funicella has served as a peer tutor for middle-schoolers at Girls Inc. for the past three years and her journey with the Beach Sisters Program unearthed her passion for teaching.
Richardson, a senior at Lynn English High School and 2018 Girl Hero, said she began to be plagued with doubt in middle school, and felt like her voice didn’t matter. Joining Girls Inc., she said, gave her a voice. She co-created a social justice group, Woke Women, which focuses on current events, important issues like racism, sexism and advocacy.
She plans to study film and public policy at college, with the goal of making films around social justice issues and making the industry more diverse and inclusive.
“The tremendous support from staff who wanted to see me succeed at Girls Inc. gave me the courage to create a program and confidence to change the world,” Richardson said.
The three Girls Inc. National Scholars are Chisom Amadi, a senior at Pioneer Charter School of Science II; Jessica Hernandez, a senior at Lynn Classical; and Leslie Mercedes Sanchez, a senior at Lynn English.
