Meet Kara Liu, Natural Life Give, Love, Laugh Winner 2018

Congratulations to Kara Liu for being selected as the 2018 Natural Life Give, Love, Laugh Winner! Kara is the Leader of the Girls for a Change Chapter in Sugar Land, TX and creator of Coding4Change, a program to provide STEM education to underserved students in her community.

We are so proud of and thankful for Kara and all that she has given to Girl Talk and her Chapter! We are especially proud to be part of her story and to be able to share it with you.

“Girl Talk has been such an inspiration not only to me but to the many girls that I have been able to meet and help in my community. I became involved with Girl Talk several years ago when I decided to start a Girl Talk Chapter at my local middle school. I never thought that I would be able to make such an impact on the lives of the girls in my Chapter, but as the months and years went on, I have been able to watch the girls in my Chapter thrive and prosper. My life became revolved around Girl Talk and the girls in my Chapter, and in many ways, Girl Talk completely changed me. By building the mountain of girl power in my community, I was able to serve as a role model for hundreds of girls and help them achieve their fullest potential. After just a couple of meetings, girls who were once timid and shy became confident and determined. We supported each other, and we weren’t afraid to share our stories. That was what made all of us a family.

Since the beginning of my Girl Talk Chapter, I have been trying to expand Girl Talk to more areas in my state of Texas. Girl Talk has helped me to discover my love and dedication for girl empowerment, which will accompany me for the rest of my life.

Selected as a counselor for the Girl Talk Camp, I want to inspire more girls to never be afraid to shoot for the stars.

Every day, I am able to connect with my fellow Girl Talk leaders on social media and email to discuss new strategies and activities to further the purpose of Girl Talk. Because of the close-knit group that Girl Talk has, my Chapter has not only expanded in number but also, impact.

As junior year rolled around, I knew that I had a passion for community service, and I needed to do something bigger for these girls in my region. With Girl Talk as the inspiration, I decided to start Coding4Change, an after-school mentoring program where high school girls can help low-income and minority girls gain an early exposure to the world of STEM and computer science. I wanted to encourage these girls to pursue careers in these fields.

I remember the satisfaction that I felt watching my program take root at more schools and libraries. More girls started attending, and it was then that I decided to create an entire year-long curriculum for the organization.

Coding4Change was even awarded a grant from PeaceFirst to help with expanding the program to neighboring communities so that more girls will gain these resources and knowledge that will last a lifetime.

I knew that some communities might be under-resourced, and I did not want that to inhibit these girls from reaching their full potential. Even though the project took a long time to plan out and execute, the results and impact that I have been able to achieve made my hard work worth-while.

Once again, I cannot express my gratitude for Girl Talk and the many opportunities that it has been able to provide for me. I was able pave my own road and help the many girls in my community pave their own too. Girl Talk has opened many doors in my life, and I know that I will be able to use my experiences and knowledge that I have gained to continue making an impact in not only my community but also, the world.”

Thank you, Kara, for all that you have given and taught your Chapter, your community, and all of us through your initiative, passion, and unique spirit. We cannot wait to see where your next chapter takes you!