LYNN — Accomplished young women will be celebrated at Girls Inc.’s annual awards ceremony at noon on June 4 even though the salute to three Girl Hero Scholars will take place online.
The Scholars luncheon has been a major annual gathering for 31 years for people who support Lynn-based Girls Inc.’s mission to empower girls and young women. Coronavirus social distancing restrictions shifted this year’s celebration to an online Zoom format with log-on information available by emailing Donna Crotty at [email protected].
“We are excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our Girl Hero Scholars, hear from our Strong Smart and Bold Honoree, and give you a glimpse of how our team is staying connected with our girls at this unprecedented time. We are grateful to our many supporters who continue to inspire our girls to be stronger, smarter, and bolder, and we look forward to seeing them at our Zoom celebration,” said Executive Director Deb Ansourlian in an email statement.
Scheduled to last 30 minutes, the scholars salute will include remarks by honorees and inspiring speakers, including 2020 Strong, Smart, and Bold Honoree Suzanne Iovanna, president of Pride Motor Group; Lani Sanethong, a Girls Inc. alumna, and Emmy Award-winning anchor on NBC 10 Boston Latoyia Edwards.
Arsourlian said the celebration also includes an update on how Girls Inc. will enhance its online education, activities, and programs to local youth.
This year’s scholar heroes are Fatoumata “Haja” Ba, Syeeda Rahman and Caloline Namutebi.
A senior at Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) Academy Lynn Collegiate, Ba was elected as executive president of the Student Council and into the National Honor Society.
Active involvement in her school’s Black History Month events led her to co-found KIPP’s first Black Student Union. She has planned and facilitated multiple events and fundraisers that promote the academic excellence and cultural prosperity of Black students at her school.
Ba has been active at Girls Inc. since the sixth grade. In eighth grade, she was awarded the middle school Girls Inc. National Scholarship. As a junior, she became a co-facilitator of a social justice-based afterschool program called Woke Women and, co-facilitates and plans weekly program meetings for high school girls.
Rahman, an English High School senior moved to the U.S. from Bangladesh 10 years ago, according to the Girls Inc. statement.
She has been team captain of English’s mock trial and science team for two years. She is also a homeroom representative, secretary of Latin Club, an officer for the Asian American Club, and a member of the National Honor Society.
Rahman works at Girls Inc. as a Teen Health Ambassador to teach young girls about reproductive health. She has hosted events such as World AIDS Day, National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day, and has presented at Take Back the Night events.
With the support of this nationwide organization, she spoke before the School Committee during its public forums on the contraceptive ban in Lynn Public Schools.
Rahman, according to the statement, has also worked on the Taking Action campaign and the Mental Health Awareness campaign at Girls Inc.
After high school, she plans to pursue a double major in political science and public health with a minor in psychology. Syeeda hopes for a career in law where she can help create policies to help low-income communities.
Also an English senior, Namutebi moved from Uganda in January, 2019. At Girls Inc. she has attended programs including Career Path, Teen Leadership Academy, Woke Women, and Senior and Junior Mentoring.
She is currently a Teen Health Ambassador at Girls Inc. Namutebi worked at North Shore Medical Center Salem as a catering associate to orient herself to working in a hospital with the goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. She also participated in the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program at Harvard Medical School.
Although they won’t be eating lunch in a ballroom with hundreds of other Girls Inc. supporters this year, Girls Inc.’s many sponsors salute the three girl heroes.
Supporters include “Strong Sponsors” Comcast, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Old Neighborhood Foods, Someone Else’s Child Foundation and United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimack Valley.
“Smart Sponsors” include The CE & FCA Foisy Foundation, GE Aviation, HP Hood, and Nick and Chris Meninno.
“Bold Sponsors” are DeIulis Brothers Construction Co., Inc., D & R Contracting, Harmony Healthcare International, Inc., Northshore Magazine, Pride Motor Group, Salem Five Charitable Foundation, and Solimine Funeral Homes.
