2022 Statement Makers Customized Girl Scholarship Contest

2022 was a record-breaking year for the Customized Girl scholarship program. We had an astonishing number of entries for 2022, totaling over 2000! The highest amount we’ve seen since we started offering this scholarship.

With such an extensive amount of applicants, we had an even harder time narrowing down our winners. Before announcing the winners, we do feel it’s important to say thank you to everyone that applied. Regardless of winning, we see this as an overall victory for those pursuing higher education, especially those that are women. We couldn’t be more proud of everyone that applied, so thank you!

Without further ado, our 2022 Customized Girl Annual Scholarship winners are …

Arionne
Statement: “Nothing’s easy, but nothing’s impossible, either. Don’t let this thing called “nothing” hold you back. Period. you have the power to change it at any time.”

Reese
Statement: “The world needs more women who are willing to stand up for what they believe in. To own who they are. To take over the controlled narrative of who and what a women should be. We are more powerful than that.”

Congratulations to these two winners! Thank you to everyone who participated and we wish all of you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Remember, we do this every year. The 2023 Customized Girl Annual Scholarship is now open. Good luck!

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2021 Statement Makers Customized Girl Scholarship Contest

Another year has come to an end, but we can’t completely close out 2021 without announcing the CG Scholarship winners.

We first want to thank all of those who took the time to apply. This scholarship is something we do every year and we are so happy to be able to give back to those furthering their education. This scholarship contest is centered around those who are looking to make a difference by sharing their original and unique “statement of the world” and we are honored to help bring that statement to life through custom apparel & accessories.

Without further ado, our 2021 Customized Girl Annual Scholarship winners are …

Destiny
Statement: “The best part about life is that you have the power to change it at any time.”

Sara
Statement: “Treat yourself like someone you love, and watch how you bloom.”

Congratulations to these two winners! Thank you to everyone who participated and we wish all of you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Remember, we do this every year. The 2022 Customized Girl Annual Scholarship is now open. Good luck!

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Guest Blogger Spotlight – VivaKolor

A note from CustomizedGirl: In reverence of Black History Month, we wanted to use our platform to help amplify black voices in the blogging community. So this year we’re featuring a post from a guest blogger. Her name is Alecia Grant and her blog is called VivaKolor. We encourage you to check out her blog where she writes about fashion and lifestyle topics from her home in New York. You can also read this featured article on her site here. For our guest spotlight, Alecia wanted to share her feelings on ‘How To Celebrate Black History Month On Social Media’. Check it out below!

How To Celebrate Black History Month On Social Media – by Alecia Grant via VivaKolor

During Black History Month, we celebrate the accomplishments, history and influence of the black community. I was compelled to write this post because now that we are home more and it’s a new year, it’s imperative for brands and creators to go further than a MLK quote. (not saying that there is anything wrong with that) And not to mention, 2020’s socioeconomic climate was an incredibly moving moment in the U.S. I feel that right now is the perfect chance to amplify voices while educating your audience, encouraging black creators to want to create more, focus on businesses advancing, and advocate for change.

So lets talk about how we can accomplish this:

1) Celebrate Black History All Year: Black History is more than a moment. To avoid being labeled as opportunistic, brands should prioritize black culture in everything that they do. Campaigns that are geared towards the celebration of the black community should provide value while being authentic, and empathetic.

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2) Spotlight Creators and Q&As: By showcasing black creators, black-owned businesses and black-owned brands in your industry this can be a great way to introduce your audience to people and businesses that they can support.

There are so many ways to do so. A great idea is to host a virtual (of course) Q&A event either on IG live, facebook, Zoom…. with a Black creator in your industry. 

For example,  Adobe is giving black creators a chance to share their stories.

**Also, please value creators time and expertise by offering to work with a budget. Free products can’t pay the bills. This is important.

3) Use Your Platform To Amplify People or Organizations: Most brands’ social media channels have lots of followers, which makes this an excellent opportunity for brands to use their channels to highlight organizations, individuals, and others who fit within their value system. For example, YouTube has committed to amplifying black creators and highlighting injustice with lots of initiatives. According to YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, YouTube has over 2 billion users, and has created a multiyear $100 million dollar fund dedicated to “amplifying and developing the voices of black creators and artists and their stories”. This includes a series of roundtables, conversations and more that highlight black creators while raising money. Way to go YouTube!

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4) Share History Facts of Black Inventors/Innovators/Designers: This is fun as you can choose people who are not that popular to the mainstream. This can be done on any social media platform as well as your website Also, this is an introspective way to get your audience to stick around and want to see more creativity from you. For example, if you’re a fashion brand—how about highlighting Ann Lowe who was a fashion designer and best known for designing Jackie Kennedy’s wedding gown.

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Or highlight an impeccable author/poet like Alexandra Elle who uses her poetry to show compassion while inspiring.

This list can go on for a while, but I will stop here. So please continue to create content to celebrate black history all year on social media. I hope these strategies help and I am looking forward to seeing more value when creating content in the future.

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2020 Statement Makers Customized Girl Scholarship Contest

The time has come once again to announce the winners of our 2020 Statement Makers Customized Girl Scholarship Contest!

First off, we want to give a huge ‘thank you’ to all of the inspiring individuals who took the time to apply for the scholarship. We thoroughly enjoy reading through all of your “statements for the world” and we are truly honored to be giving away two $500 scholarship awards.

Without further ado, the 2020 CG Scholarship winners are … (drum roll please):

Kera
Statement: “Queens wear crowns but also dry shampoo.”

Bethany
Statement: “I might not be the hero with all of the glory, but I hold the pen that writes my own story.”

Congratulations to these two winners! Thank you to all who participated and we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Don’t forget, we do this every year.

Eligible individuals can come back again for another chance to be selected as one of two $500 scholarship winners. And to those who will graduate this year, CONGRATS grad! If you can graduate during a global pandemic… you can do anything! 

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2019 Statement Makers Customized Girl Scholarship Contest

We’re a little late to post, but we wanted to share our winners from the 2019 Customized Girl Statement Makers Scholarship contest!

Our Statement Maker contest is centered around those who are looking to make a difference by sharing a powerful message with the rest of the world. Our job is to help bring that message to life by spreading it around. For the past 6 years, the Customized Girl Statement Maker Scholarship has helped students achieve their academic goals.

For 2019, we changed things up a bit by picking just two winners. We asked ‘What is your “statement for the world” on Instagram.

We had so many entries yet again this year, and these were our top two favorites and the winners of the Customized Girl Scholarships for 2019.

Erin M.

Statement: Shine so bright that others are attracted to your light.

Sarah S.

Statement: Stay Uncomfortable. Nothing has even been accomplished from a cocoon of blankets.

A big thank you to everyone who submitted to the scholarship contest for 2019!! We know the year hasn’t ended the way it should have for many seniors. We know you’ll do great things and are so proud of you and your accomplishments! Congratulations grads!

We combed through so many amazing and powerful statements this year, as we do every year, really! You’ve really inspired us and we’re sure many others.

For 2020, there will again be two winners. $500 each. We’re asking you to post your “statement for the world” on Instagram. We can’t wait to read more statements from our budding young adults during this time.

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2018 Customized Girl Statement Maker Scholarship Winners

Another year, another scholarship contest closed! As always, we had some amazing entries for this year’s Customized Girl Scholarship. Our Statement Maker contest is centered around those who are looking to make a difference by sharing a powerful message with the rest of the world. Our job is to help bring that message to life by spreading it around. For the past 6 years, the Customized Girl Statement Maker Scholarship has helped students achieve their academic goals. Each candidate that was selected provided a bold and impactful statment that we knew the rest of the world needed to hear. We are so very excited and extremely honored to share with you the 5 amazing winners of 2018. We asked each of them these 3 questions:

1.) Describe yourself in three words?
2.) What is your ideal career path?
3.) Why is this statement important to you?


Tabitha Hunt

Statement: Success is to live life surrounded by your passions

1.) The three words that best describe me are determined, conscientious and empathetic.

2.) My ideal career path is to become an Elementary School Teacher.  I’m currently working toward my AA transfer to a bachelors degree program in Elementary Education at Washington State University 2020.

3.) Success is to live life surrounded by your passions. This statement embodies how I strive to live my life surrounding myself with people and the things I love. Particularly after completing  my bachelors degree, I will have the ability to work in an atmosphere where I can fully embrace my passions and enjoy the essence of living a successful life!


Amber Rivera

Statement: Trust your fear enough to let it push you to be your best self


1.) Amiable, Strongwilled, Sensible

2.) My ideal career is a sustainable consultant because it aligns my interest in business and my passion for taking care of the environment. I wanted to make a difference in the world around me, and I debated different careers that allowed me to accomplish that. I thought about politics, law, and medicine; then I realized that I spend a great deal of time reading about environmental issues and I was most interested in my business class.  I think that the business world wants to be more sustainable moving forward and helping to achieve that ideal of sustainable business is an ideal career for me. 

2.) My ideal career is a sustainable consultant because it aligns my interest in business and my passion for taking care of the environment. I wanted to make a difference in the world around me, and I debated different careers that allowed me to accomplish that. I thought about politics, law, and medicine; then I realized that I spend a great deal of time reading about environmental issues and I was most interested in my business class.  I think that the business world wants to be more sustainable moving forward and helping to achieve that ideal of sustainable business is an ideal career for me.


Sally Lott

Statement: Be the change you want -for the future that we need.


1. Driven, confident, and kind.

2. I haven’t totally decided- but I either want to go into law, or into government and public administration.

3. I chose this statement because I am a firm believer that you have to be the change that you want to see. I feel that currently we are all more divided than ever; but I think that (the young people especially) are also more driven than ever! And I really do believe that we will be able to create the future that we want and need.


Rebekah Nelson

Statement: Do what you love and let it consume you 


1. Creative, Compassionate, Hardworking

2. My ideal career path is not clear to me right now, but am entering college in the fall of 2019 and will soon figure it all out. Being the creative and hardworking person I am, I do know however that I want to utilize my art and organization skills in some way to benefit and bring joy to others. I’ve always loved art as a child and was surrounded by many family members who loved it as well. So, it only makes sense to follow my heart and continue on the family tradition that is rooted deep in my bones.

3. I instantly fell in love with this statement when I read it, choosing to make it my mantra. In society, following our passions is usually considered something positive and highly encouraged right until the moment it involves being an artist. I made this my mantra to remind me daily that my passions are my passions for a reason, and I should never apologize or stray from them just to satisfy others.


Celeste Paglialunga

Statement: Kindness is the greatest superpower


1. I would say I am kind, open-minded, and hard-working.

2. My ideal career path is to get my Bachelors and Masters in Nursing and to work in a big hospital. 

3. This statement is important to me because being kind can make anyone’s day, and being kind brings people together.


We can’t thank you enough for sharing your inspirational statements with us and the world! We hope that this has motivated more young adults out there to become Statment Makers. We also wanted to give a big thanks to everyone who submitted a statement for the scholarship contest this year. Keep being awesome and we hope to see you next year (unless you graduated, in which case…congratulations!) We love hearing the statements and messages that you all think are important, so keep sharing in the comments below.

For 2019, we are going to change things up a bit. Two winners. $500 each. We’re asking you to post your “statement for the world” on Instagram. We can’t wait to see what’s in store! Until next year, Statement Makers!

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Celebrating International Day of the Girl

Today, October 11th, is the International Day of the Girl.

Obviously, we feel a kinship with this movement. Both of our names end in “Girl”. (We are Customized Girl.)

But joking aside, this is an important movement with serious goals. Check out dayofthegirl.org, which is a “100% youth-led movement for gender justice and youth activism”.

The United Nations declared 10/11 as the Day of the Girl back in 2011. It’s about bettering girls’ lives all over the world. Providing them an opportunity to take leadership positions. Reaching their full potential.

These are things we so often take for granted with boys. But there are places in this world, sometimes in our own backyards, where this equality does not exist.

So celebrate with us today. Girl power means empowering girls. We’re on board. Are you?

Voices

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2017 Customized Girl Statement Maker Scholarship Winners

Another year has come and gone and that can only mean one thing – it’s time to announce the 2017 Customized Girl statement maker scholarship winners!

Customized Girl is  all about statement makers and celebrating those who have an important message to share with the world. Statements are what we love and that’s why our scholarship is centered on not only making them but helping spread their awareness. Customized Girl has offered a statement maker scholarship to help students accomplish their collegiate goals for the last five years. We have selected five influential candidates who would each receive $500 towards their education costs.

We are not only honored to announce these powerful young adults but also ecstatic to share their lives with all of you.  Customized Girl asked all winners three questions:

 

1.) Describe yourself in three words?

2.) What is your ideal career path?

3.) Why is this statement important to you?

 

We are beyond excited to announce our the 2017 Customized Girl statement maker scholarship winners!

Ora Damelin

Statement: Weird is the new wonderful

1.) Passionate. Imaginative. Talkative.

 

2.) I have always wanted to spend my life telling stories, and hope to tell those stories through the medium of film. My dream is one day write and direct my own movies, or work as a show-runner on a television series. I want to introduce the world to stories that might seem unusual or difficult to digest, but are fueled by raw real emotions that people can relate to. (Also, I want to make a movie with unicorns. And zombies. And possibly tap dancing. Just to clarify- these are all different movies. Unicorns and zombies would never go together.)

 

3.) I honestly believe that weird is the new wonderful. I know that it is often tempting to tone down the elements of our personalities, backgrounds, and interests that may be strange or difficult to understand. But I also know, that it is these things, our individual weirdness, that make us special. I am not content to just say that weird is the new normal; I believe that weird is the new wonderful.

 

Claire R. Walker

​Statement: ​Make each day your greatest adventure.

1.) Preserving, sympathetic, and enthusiastic.

 

2.) I am currently achieving a degree in nursing so I can soon become a Registered Nurse! I always knew I wanted a career where I could give back to my community and help those in need. However, it took some time to fully realize that nursing was the perfect job for me. I spent years exploring different careers in healthcare and social work until I had a medical emergency that required me to stay in the hospital. My nurse truly changed my life with her dedicated and scrupulous care and I realized I wanted to make the same impact on others as she did with me. 

 

3.) This statement is so important to me because I often struggle with going out of my comfort zone although every time I do, I never regret it. I’ve traveled on a student exchange program to China, I’ve gone zip lining (while overcoming my fear of heights), tried crazy foods, taken out-of-the box classes, joined a running team, and so on. While these things may not seem like grand adventures, making an effort to do adventurous activities from time to time have made me grown so much as a person. I’ve also learned that adventure exists everywhere, whether it’s something big or small, but life is so much more vibrant when you seek these opportunities. I make it a point to have a small adventure each day so I go to bed knowing I made the most of my time and have something to look forward to the next morning! 

 

Kristen Adaway

Statement: Every failure is a second chance at success

1.) Passionate, determined, strong-willed

 

2.) My ideal career path involves being a journalist and telling the stories of women of color like me so that they their voices are just as loud as the majority. In the political climate that we are in today, I feel it is necessary for the stories of marginalized groups in society to be told . One of my long-term professional goals is to create my own media outlet that has a sole purpose in narrating the lives of women across the globe who have faced hardships and to explain how they’ve overcome them or the challenges that have kept them from being able to overcome them. Similar to Humans of New York, my media outlet would include “everyday” people and use their raw stories to give a glimpse into their lives. However, in the meantime my “smaller” dream is to work for a major media company as a features writer covering social justice and culture. 

 

3.) This statement is important to me because like many others, I have had my share of failures and disappointments. However, the silver lining in failing is the journey to get back to success. I truly believe that failures should be viewed as a lesson on what not to do or what to do better next time. For some, this lesson could even mean a complete change in direction from what their original plan was. No matter how you view failure, one things remains true: you will have another chance to improve even if the only person who sees the improvement is you.

Rebecca Stephens 

Statement: Great things have never come from comfort zones

1.) Motivated, open-minded, and kind.

 

2.) My ideal career is to be a doctor. Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of becoming a doctor. I would watch all the television programs on the Discovery Health channel and imagine what it would be like to catch a subtle sign or symptom and make a lifesaving diagnosis like the doctors did on TV. This dream turned into a goal when I was twelve; I became very sick and needed a doctor’s help. My doctor saved my life by quickly diagnosing my illness and providing immediate treatment. I want to make a difference in people’s lives, like my doctor made a difference in mine. I was very young when I was sick, and I was very scared. But having a calm, educated person like my doctor take care of me was more comfort to me than he’ll ever know. I want to be that doctor for other children, and I hope to inspire them like my doctor inspired me.

 

 

3.) This statement has been my mantra for some years now. I sometimes struggle to put myself out there and try new things that are outside of my comfort zone. But when I hesitate to try something, I just remind myself of that mantra and do it. Yes, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way I hoped; however, there is always a lesson to be learned from that. But most of the time, it goes well and great things happen!

 

Megan Stoddard

Statement: Never let the things you want, make you forget the things you have

1.) Loyal, organized, and logical.

 

2.)My ideal career path would be nursing because I love to help people!

 

3.) This statement is important to me because it’s a great reminder to be grateful. It is easy to lose sight of what you have when you are so focused on everything you may want at that moment in time. Nothing lasts forever! Live life one day at a time and enjoy the moment.

 

We are inspired by all these wonderful statement and hope they will inspire more young adults to be statement makers. Thanks again to everyone who entered our scholarship contest! Continue to rock out your statements and share some of them below in the comments!

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2016 Customized Girl Statement Maker Scholarship Winners

Many know Customized Girl as a print on demand apparel and accessory company that specializes in trendy designs. While we may have started out selling custom t-shirts, we’ve evolved into a community of statement makers. It is empowering to make a custom shirt and to wear that statement across your chest. For the last four years, Customized Girl has offered a statement maker scholarship to help students accomplish their collegiate goals. This year we mixed things up a bit with our scholarship. Instead of one statement maker receiving $2500,  we selected five influential candidates who would each receive $500 towards their education costs.  

We are not only honored to announce these powerful young adults but also ecstatic to share their lives with all of you.  Customized Girl asked all winners three questions:

 

1.) Describe yourself in three words?

2.) What is your ideal career path?

3.) Why is this statement important to you?

 

Without further ado, meet Customized Girl’s statement makers for 2016! 

Chanyell Anderson

Statement: If you want something you’ve never had, do something you’ve never done.

 
1.) I would happily describe myself as determined, loyal, and punctual. These three things are very important qualities to me so I try very hard to always emulate them. I think it’s important that everyone have a goal and be very determined and unmoving when it comes to reaching those goals. My punctuality is one of the things I take pride in. It makes me physically ill to even think about being late! Loyalty is something I appreciate in others and so I can give them no less.
 
2.) Well, I am already living part of my dream. I am a teacher. Right now, my career path includes going back to school for another degree so I can get a job as an instructional specialist within my school district. This would enable me to teach more kids and help more teachers. I will also be able to work as a curriculum writer for my district. This degree will open up many doors for me that are closed right now. I look forward to what the future holds!
 
3.) Well, there are a lot of things I would like to change about my life, simply because I find that I’m not satisfied with where I am right now. To me, if I want change to happen, then I have to do things I’ve never done (such as moving to a different city and going back to school) or I’ll never achieve what I want in life. It’s scary for me but it’s necessary if I want better things for myself.
 

Taylor Martz

​Statement: ​Broken crayons still color

 
1.) Devoted, Sociable, Creative
 
2.) My ideal career path after I finish my Masters degree would be to work in the marketing communications field to establish myself. In a few years, I would love to return to the realm of academia and become a professor in the department of communications! I am currently teaching an undergraduate course for freshman, and have loved every minute- so I feel as if this could be a great calling later on in my career.
 
3.) “Broken crayons still color” has been a guiding mantra in my personal life. I’ve battled my way through numerous ‘storms’ and, sometimes, I have felt as if the rain wasn’t ever going to stop and sunshine was a thing of the past. However, I’ve never failed to let the waves break my bow. I truly believe that when we come out on the other side of our storms and stand to face the sunshine, we can turn around and see where the sun was the whole time. Even through dark clouds, the sun is still present. 

 

Storms may bend us or try to break us, but they’re bleak in comparison to the bright sunshine on the other side. I try to search for the positive in each day, no matter how crummy. Being able to find the good within the bad has helped me realize my true potential in all situations, not just the successful ones. Just because we feel broken during hard times does not mean we’ve failed to make an impact on the lives of others during the process. Something as simple as your smile to the stranger in the grocery store, holding the door open for a mother with full hands, or offering up your seat on the bus can turn another’s day around. In the midst of brokenness, we’re still adding color and touching the lives of others– so instead of falling victim to the hurt, we can use our inner light to help guide our way through current and future storms.

 
 

Nicole Davidson

Statement: Trust your passion to outshine your fears

 
1.) I would describe myself as positive, genuine, and determined. I try my best to live everyday focused on my goals while being the best person I can be.
 
2.) I am currently a graduate student at West Chester University in Pennsylvania studying Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs. I’m pursuing a career in higher education because I have a personal goal to help others and make a difference in a life wherever I can. I am an advocate for advanced learning for anyone who has the opportunity to pursue it. This field will allow me to work in an environment that opens me up to enriching experiences while providing opportunities for students to evolve and make an impact in the world around them. Universities help students find their passions in the world, without my college experience I would have never discovered my own. Throughout my career, if I can assist one individual, I’ve made a difference in someone’s life and that is important to me.
 
3.) “Trust your passion to outshine your fears.” This statement is important to me because it is so relevant in my life and what I see in the lives of many young individuals around me. As we transition from young individuals to adults, we all have goals and things we want to achieve. Sometimes I find myself hesitant or afraid for the possibility of difficulty or failure. But it is important to remember, if you are passionate about what you do or what you want to achieve, then no one can stop you from your version of success. You will always have fears or doubts but that should never keep you from pursing your dreams. Passion is enthusiasm, fascination, and obsession. There will always be challenges but never let a fear stand in the way of something you feel called to do.  
 

Brianda Barrera Olvera

Statement: Let success be measured by your happiness, not the other way around

 
1.) Organized, passionate, planner
 
2.) My ideal career path is to work in public relations for an agribusiness. I am fascinated by the importance of agriculture as well as public speaking and writing. The public relations department of an agribusiness just seems like the most ideal place for me to work. 

 

3.) This statement is important to be because I spent most of my high school junior year struggling what I wanted to do with my life. I had convinced myself to become a dentist but I began to lean towards a career in agriculture. When others heard of this, including my family, they began to tell me that a career in dentistry was the most successful thing to do and that I wouldn’t find much success in agricultural communications. Their thoughts almost became my thoughts but I had to remind myself that I defined my own success. I decided that whichever career would make me the happiest is the career I would be most successful in.

 

Jordyn Geenty

Statement: You can’t live in the past, but it is okay to look back at it and smile

1.) I would describe myself as determined, crafty, and loyal

2.) My ideal career path is education. I think that teaching is very important because it is the only profession that creates all other professions. I am enrolled in classes now working toward my teaching degree and I am excited to have my own classroom in just a few years. I have been in a number of classrooms helping out and my favorite so far have been 3rd-5th grade so that is where I am hoping to get placed when I finish college.

3.) This statement is important to me because I love to think about great memories I’ve had but I would then become stuck in those times until I realized that it’s okay to remember the past but I cannot live in it because I would never be able to create new memories that I can also look back on and smile.

 

Thanks again to everyone who entered our scholarship contest.  We already cannot wait for next year’s entries and to hear all of your amazing and innovative statements. No need to worry if you missed out for Customized Girl’s scholarship in 2016. We host our scholarship annually before the start of every school so make sure to stay tuned with all things Customized Girl!

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2015 Customized Girl Statement Maker Scholarship Winner – Marisa Lucht

A statement  is an opinion or attitude that you express through the things you do, the things you say, and even the way you dress.  At Customized Girl, we just can’t get enough of statement makers.

For the last two years we have been seeking out women who are doing extraordinary and interesting things. One of our objectives is to celebrate and bring those young women everywhere  together to create a community of statement makers. We believe that girls should be free to say what they want, when they want, and  ultimately express themselves. To help enhance those opportunities, we wanted to give these trailblazers a platform to raise their voices and captivate the world. The Customized Girl Statement Maker scholarship was born!

We are thrilled with the hundreds of inspiring and wonderful submission’s we received this year. Every statement was so impactful and incredible it was a difficult task of choosing just one.

The Customized Girl Scholarship is awarded to the girl with the most important and creative message to share. We are proud to announce this year’s statement maker and scholarship winner of $2,500 – Marisa Lucht!

Marisa’s statement: Don’t be afraid to use glitter pens while writing your future.

We love this statement because it confirms that women are in charge of their own future and only they have the ability to control it and make it incredible. For too long, women have been living up to the expectations of others.

We sat down and talked to Marisa and asked her why this statement is so important to her and her plans for school and beyond.  This is what she had to say:

 

What are you studying?

I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics. Right now I am taking a lot of math and science courses but also have had a chance to take theology and philosophy because of Notre Dame’s university requirements. Next year I hope to take more economics, business, and computer science courses to decide if any of these areas are something I want to double major in.

 

Why did you choose Notre Dame?

From the moment I stepped foot onto the Notre Dame campus, I felt at home. Nothing compares to the Fighting Irish family and I am so fortunate to be part of such a strong community. Besides Notre Dame’s amazing community, I also love the emphasis on spirituality and intellectual growth. At Notre Dame, the staff and all of the students care about who you are as a person. As I continue my education it has been phenomenal to be challenged through my school work and also by my peers who encourage me to grow in my faith and give back to the community through volunteerism. Finally, if all of this was not enough, I am a sports fanatic and love cheering on all the Fighting Irish sports teams. My experience at Notre Dame has been extraordinary and I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to attend such a premier university.

 

Your statement was all about writing your own future. What do you see in your future

In the future, I hope to make a difference. Whether that is doing research to help policy makers create legislation that changes the lives of everyone in America or if it is simply making my little sister laugh. I want to leave the world a better place than it was when I came into it. In order to do this, I know that I must not be afraid to stand out and stand up for what I believe is right. We dictate our futures, so anything is possible.

Your major is “Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics”. Awesome. How can we (as a society, as an industry) recruit more young women into technology fields?

To encourage more young women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, we should begin asking them if they enjoy solving problems rather than if they are good at science. By shifting the focus from having an arbitrary skill set to making them think about if they are curious about the world, we can open their eyes to all the possible STEM careers they may be interested in. We must teach young women not to be afraid to be themselves. Women are problem solvers. Women are inventive. Women have the power to shape the future by pursuing fields in technology.

We were inspired by Marisa’s statement and hope it can inspire more girls to stand up and be statement makers. Thanks again to everyone who entered our scholarship contest! We cannot wait for next year’s contest and to hear all of your amazing statements!

Customized Girl wants to increase opportunities for bold, young women and with the addition of custom apparel storefront, they have even more chances to to express themselves and leave their mark on the world.

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