Good Morning! My name is Allison
Annala, and I am so excited to be here today to help celebrate an organization
that has not only impacted my life, but the lives of nearly 1 million girls
worldwide. If you haven’t already heard about I AM THAT GIRL, get excited,
because if you are a girl, are the parent of a girl, or just happen to know a
girl, I can guarantee that you are going to love this organization and what
it’s already doing to help the women and girls in your life.
As women, we receive countless messages
every single day reminding us of all the things we are not. They tell us to wear
push up bras and slim fit jeans, buy designer brands, and keep up trendy
fashion. Then they harp on our bodies by saying we should work out but don’t
get too muscular, don’t be too fat but don’t be too skinny either. Don’t wear
too much make up, but make sure you wear enough make up… and don’t forget the
“anti-aging” creams, because God forbid you get a wrinkle before you turn 60…you
name it, we feel the pressure. Whether its through advertising, feedback from
our peers or the opposite sex, or messages in the media, we are constantly
being reminded that we are not enough. It positively boggles my mind to think
that we are all chasing after an unattainable ideal, that as a society, we’ve
somehow manifested this image of perfection that every woman has been tasked to
live up to.
Well, I don’t know about you, but
I think girls deserve better than this and thankfully, so does I AM THAT GIRL.
I AM THAT GIRL is a chapter-based
501c3 non-profit organization made up of almost 300 active Local Chapters in
the US and a network of over 1 Million online followers! We provide leadership
& social and personal development programming to young women in High School
and College. Our mission is to cultivate self-worth, community engagement &
action, so that together we can amplify the voices, stories, and potential of
girls everywhere.
We are a for-girls-by-girls
community, that is peer led. This means that every chapter is founded and maintained
by the girls themselves - with the help and support of IATG staff. We provide the curriculum, but the
girls provide their own unique experiences, concerns, and values. Though
chapters discuss many of the same topics, every community is a little bit
different and has different needs. We don't tell girls how to think, we empower
them to speak their mind and listen actively to others to create an atmosphere
that empowers each individual group. Every chapter is unique, but they are
all connected in a robust community, allowing girls to make strong, lasting
connections with each other and inspiring them to grow as leaders and mentors
both at their school and on a global scale.
One example of this, is our curriculum topic “Your Future”- Obviously,
it’s a really broad category with discussion prompts that include, “How do you
picture your life in 5 years?” or “What are you doing now to set yourself up to
reach your long term goals?” Even though these questions are pretty standard,
they can solicit a myriad of different conversations across chapters. High
school chapters will be looking more toward the excitement of the college
experience, while our collegiate chapters may have conversations about their
post college-life aspirations. While the discussions may be different from
coast to coast, or across the age spectrum, the theme behind the meetings is
always the same. Celebrate each other through open mindedness and lift others
up with love and compassion.
While the conversations can
vary tremendously, one thing remains incredibly consistent with our chapters,
and that is our signature activity that kicks off every I AM THAT GIRL meeting,
it’s called: “I am that girl because…”
At the start of each gathering,
members take turns going around the circle telling each other what makes them
“that girl” in this moment. They may have a success to celebrate, like a good
grade on a test, or a scored goal in a soccer game. They may have overcome
something to help gain perspective. Or, they may simply acknowledge that they
are going through a tough time, and they are just trying to keep moving
forward. Whatever it is, this activity works in many ways to help build
understanding among members and cultivate lasting relationships by developing a
circle of trust and support.
I’d love for you all to take a
minute right now and think of what makes you “that girl” or “that guy” in this
moment. What can you celebrate about yourself right now. It can be something
totally small or something truly spectacular. It might be hard at first…
because bragging about ourselves is something that most of us only do well
until we’re about 6.
So, while you’re taking a
minute to think of what makes you truly special right now, I’d like to share
mine! Today, I am that girl because I’m doing something that scares me. I’m
standing in front of a crowd of strangers challenging myself to be vulnerable,
authentic and honest… and to not worry about what all of y’all think of me. Not
an easy task, but I’m going for it, and I’m proud of myself.
This incredible
organization is aimed at helping young women to become the best version of
themselves. We want to empower, inspire and help women to express, love and BE
who they are. One of my absolute favorite quotes, is “Comparison is the thief
of Joy,” because it could not possibly be more true. In this day and age, it is
so easy to compare our lives with the social media highlight reels that we are
exposed to. You know, all of those people on Facebook and Instagram that appear
to only go on vacation, eat fancy dinners or get married all the time?! That’s
not necessarily their reality… it’s just what they choose to showcase to the
world. But when that’s all we see, it’s hard to not compare ourselves to those
seemingly lavish lifestyles. Our goal is to encourage collaboration among women
instead of competition, to teach girls to lift while they climb, and to
recognize that someone else’s achievements DO NOT diminish their own.
Part of our
programming at I AM THAT GIRL, is to encourage each other to embrace
vulnerability as a strength rather than a weakness. Like many people, this was
not always easy for me. You see, I was a competitive gymnast for almost 20
years, and growing up as an athlete, I definitely embraced more of a “prove I’m
a badass by concealing all emotions” kind of mentality. Learning to recognize
my feelings, to allow them to exist and to appreciate them for what they were
was not an easy task for me. It took a lot of practice, but I’m definitely
getting better at it. So before I tell you my story, I’d like to ask your
permission to get real with you, to be vulnerable, and to really share what’s
on my heart.
Is that okay with y’all?
I stumbled upon
the I AM THAT GIRL community when a celebrity I worshiped posted about it on
Twitter. I was so enamored with what I found, that I immediately went out and
purchased our founder’s book, coincidentally titled, I AM THAT GIRL. I as I was
reading Alexis Jones’ inspiring words, I felt, for the first time in years,
that someone truly understood what I was going through. Here’s a quick excerpt
from her book,
“To be ‘that girl’
just means you’re going to give life your best shot, that you’re not going to
make excuses or justifications, that you’re going to go for it, whatever that
means for you. It also means you’re going to be an example of true beauty in
the world and encourage the same for all the other women in your life. Being
‘that girl’ means you are a constant work in progress—you’re willing to be
vulnerable, flawed and compassionate and are someone who stumbles and falls but
isn’t afraid to admit her shortcomings in the midst of her magnificence.”
That’s when I
started thinking about all of those girls I had admired for being ‘that girl’
in my life. You know, ‘that girl’ who is an amazing singer, ‘that girl’ who
beats all the boys at sports, ‘that girl’ who has no idea how beautiful she is,
‘that girl’ who radiates confidence no matter what her circumstances, ‘that
girl’ who is so smart, she’ll probably change the world …
I had never
pictured myself in the same way. I felt less than those girls somehow, never
assuming that I would be worthy of the same kind of admiration I felt for the
girls I looked up to. But reading Alexis’ words about what truly defined ‘that
girl’ changed me, and started me on a journey of self-discovery that completely
transformed my world.
I devoured every
word in that book. I felt as though she was speaking directly to me, like she
knew what I was going through even though I was completely unable to express it
to people I knew and trusted. I felt like I was carrying this really heavy
secret, that if I actually told people how I felt, they would look at me
differently. I had this perceived image of myself that was happy go lucky girl.
I was a good friend, a doting daughter, a loving big sister and a hardworking,
independent young woman. But that was only half of my story and I wanted desperately
to connect with someone who could understand the deeper part of my heart.
I AM THAT GIRL
gave me the outlet I was looking for, and when I finally found the courage to
share my story on the their website, the response I received was overwhelming. You
see, I spent the better part of 10 years fighting feelings of inadequacy,
anxiety, depression, and disordered eating habits. The worst part of it was
that I couldn’t understand where it was coming from. I had a GREAT life… and in
the back of my mind I couldn’t grasp why I was going through all of this
internally when externally, everything around me indicated I had a perfect life.
It just didn’t make sense. I mean, I knew that my friends and parents and other
people I looked up to had their own insecurities, just like the next guy, but when
I looked around, it seemed to me that I was the only one I knew who struggling
the way I was. That is until I was brave enough to publish my article.
The response was
immediate. It was shared hundreds, maybe thousands of times on Facebook. The
comments came in from everywhere and I was gifted this incredible opportunity
to embrace who I was and talk about my struggles openly both online, and in
person. You would not believe the kind of doors that opened for me in my
everyday life. My friends instantly began asking me more questions and opening
up to me about their own inner struggles. Though our challenges weren’t
necessarily the same, I quickly realized that I wasn’t the only one who felt
alone in my problems, and that was an incredibly comforting realization. You
see, we live in this world that rarely provides space for us struggle. I had
gone on for years, just convincing myself that I was “handling it” – and it
wasn’t until I found this community of women who weren’t uncomfortable learning
about my battle with anorexia that I finally understood what I had been
missing. It was a space to be unapologetically me… exactly as I was then, and
exactly as I am now. I’m always changing and growing and learning… and I don’t
plan to be the same Allison in 5 years that I am today, kind of the same way
I’m definitely not the girl I was 5 years ago. I truly believe that we GROW
THROUGH what we GO THROUGH and I AM THAT GIRL provides girls the tools to embrace
their own uniqueness and their vulnerability and to appreciate both of those
beautiful parts of them.
I can’t even begin
to tell you what leading a Chapter of I AM THAT GIRL has meant for me. It’s
taught me to quit hiding behind perfection, and to be 100% my most authentic
self. And guess what… people like that version of me! It’s crazy, right!
Our founder,
Alexis Jones says that the two most powerful words in the English language are
“Me Too.” I can say from experience, that it feels really good to know you’re
not alone. But sometimes the only way we can discover that someone else is
walking our same path is by being courageous enough to go first and to say
what’s truly on our hearts.
My story is just
that, it’s my story. But it’s one of a million stories that represent what this
community is doing in the world. I could tell you stories of
countless other amazing girls who have faced mountains of their own. Each one
is unique, each story is different, but the one thing these girls all have in
common is that they have found comfort, encouragement, support, love and
resilience in the communities that I AM THAT GIRL helps to provide.
I AM THAT GIRL is
not just a safe place for girls to express, love and be who they are. It’s a
life style. It’s teaching these young women that it is okay to embrace who they
are, to celebrate their differences and lift each other up, and these are
skills that every young woman should possess. The effect that this organization
has had on my life is profound. The magnitude of what I’ve learned has
snowballed into every aspect of my life. I’d love to see a chapter pop up at
every high school and college campus nationwide. Because to me, the greatest
gift any girl can receive is permission to be herself, to love who she sees in
the mirror, the voice in her head, the dreams in her mind and the spirit in her
heart. It’s the gift of I AM THAT GIRL… and I’m so thankful I received it.
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