Sections

Hi, I’m Annie Kiyonaga, a ninth grader at Stone Ridge school and the oldest of four kids — two boys and one girl.

I live in Chevy Chase, Maryland but was born in Washington DC on May 17, 1997. My favorite sports are swimming and tennis, and I was co- captain of my school tennis team last year.

Although I love to read and write, math is my best subject — I received the Math Award this past year at my school.

Because of my scores on standardized testing, I was awarded a partial scholarship for high school at Stone Ridge.

After high school, my dream is to attend Stanford College and become a lawyer or a psychiatrist. My parents are both lawyers, and I know that I am influenced by their passion for justice and change.

I think that their drive to help people has instilled in me a greater sense of purpose about Girl Up’s mission to aid girls around the world.

I learned about Girl Up through the program GirlsUp. GirlsUp is a program targeted to girls ages 10- 13 and works to instill in them a sense of genuine confidence and self.

GirlsUp recently partnered with Girl Up, giving me the exciting opportunity to become a Girl Up Teen Advisor.

Being so directly involved with an international organization like Girl Up is a dream come true for me.

The thought that I could significantly impact the life of even one girl is reason enough to be thrilled about my new position as Teen Advisor.

But beyond that, I am excited about the opportunity to reach beyond myself and connect with girls from across the country and the world.