Public-service intern pitches in to help girls
With the Tulane Center for Public Service guiding her, senior Carolyn Doane is fulfilling her service-learning requirement in a most inspiring way. Doane helps young girls all across New Orleans increase their self-assurance as an intern for Girls on the Run, a nonprofit, nationwide organization that works to build self-confidence in young girls through physical activity and a curriculum that teaches healthy life skills.
As a public-service intern, Carolyn Doane helps Girls on the Run, an organization that builds young girls' self-esteem through physical activity. (Photo by Guillermo Cabrera-Rojo)
The third- through fifth-grade students participating in Girls on the Run are training for a 5-kilometer run, a feat few adults can undertake. “The girls are so positive, so eager and so excited to train each week. And they never stop coming back for more,” says Doane.
Unlike other programs, which filter their eligible students through financial or academic standings, the only requirement for participation in Girls on the Run is enthusiasm. This is an aspect of the organization that Doane found most inspiring when she was looking to serve in the community.
As an athlete herself, Doane believes deeply in the benefits of an active childhood as a way to promote self-confidence, and she jumped at the opportunity to give a similar experience to other girls.
“I could see how much they looked up to me, and I could feel myself making a difference,” says Doane. “It is so important to have strong, positive role models, and I am so lucky to have been a part of these girls' personal growth.”
For her senior project, Doane helped organize the Luna Fest film festival to benefit Girls on the Run. The festival on the uptown campus featured short films centered on empowering women.
Julia Gautreaux is a sophomore communication major.
