(From Left: Teen Advisors Lucy Lohrmann, Remy Arthur, UN Youth Champion Monique Coleman, Clean & Clear/Girl Up HERo Antonea Johnson)

Coffee in hand, I walked past a structure that stands so proudly over New York’s East River.

The United Nations, to a Model UNer like myself,  is the Mecca of all international knowledge. In one building, almost 200 nations congregate transcending all cultural, religious and socioeconomic differences to solve world issues as one peaceful entity. In about 45 minutes, I was about to congregate with some pretty cool people, too.

Girl Up’s day at the United Nations Foundation and the UN was to celebrate a very special young lady, Antonea, who fights against bullying. Bright, personable and talented, she exemplifies that we girls can make positive change in the world. As the winner of the Clean & Clear Girl Up HERo challenge, she got to tour CosmoGirl and Seventeen’s offices.

She, her sister Mylayah and mother Betty joined fellow Teen Advisor Remy Arthur, Girl Up’s wonderful staff, and me to the UN for an in-depth tour.

I was speechless when I saw the General Assembly room, but can you blame me?

It’s not every day a girl gets a sneak peak at the very room where wars are prevented and thousands of lives are saved! After our tour was over, we headed back to UNF’s NY Headquarters for lunch.

As we ate, we were privileged to talk with co-chairs from the UN Adolescent Girl Task Force. With comprehensive statistics, they explained why exactly the world needs to invest in girls. Why? Ninety percent of girls, when given the opportunity to be educated and health care, invest their energy and knowledge back into their communities.

The theatrical and compelling Wesleyan College senior, Kennedy Obede, spoke about his organization Shining Hope for Communities which aims to educate the marginalized women of his hometown Kibera, Kenya.

Last, but not least, UN Youth Champion Monique Coleman of the Gimme Mo’ Campaign paid a visit to the UNF.

She told us how she became involved with the UN, her eye-opening trip to more than 20 countries and gave advice to us girls just starting out on our life journeys to make the world a better place.

Whether you are Monique Coleman, in the front of the General Assembly urging the world to invest in youth, putting an end to bullying like Antonea, or a girl speaking up for your sisters half a world away, we all can change the world.

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