She Votes!

The presidential election only happens every four years.  It is a time in our lives when we watch every move of every candidate.  We watch debates, engage in our own debates, and we reflect.  We look into our future and we reflect on the past.  We analyze our mistakes, mishaps and regrets and we hope that our candidate of choice will build on previous successes, improve the shortcomings and lead our country to a prosperous future. 

On Tuesday, October 23 Girls Inc. held a mock election at all of our Tarrant County program locations.   The election is called “She Votes”.  We set up a “polling place”, created ballots and asked the girls to cast their vote.   Girls Inc. She Votes® is designed to give girls the skills and confidence to see themselves as future voters and as future candidates.


On Tuesday, 528 girls voted.  The votes have been tallied and the results are in.

463 – Barack Obama
48- Mitt Romney




There was another question on the ballot that the girls voted on.
Do you think your school cafeteria should serve food from McDonalds?

423 – Yes
105 – No

Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote.  Today, women remain significantly under-represented in Congress, among Governors, in state legislators, and in local office. Our hope with Girls Inc. “She Votes” is that our girls will find their voice in their communities, as well as their local, state, and federal governments.  All 528 girls who voted found their voices in this mock election and while they don’t all agree on who the next president should be, there is one thing they agree on: Voting is important. 

Fort Worth Nature Center

On Monday October 8th, the Girls Inc. staff and the girls from Eastern Hills High School traveled to the Ft. Worth Nature Center and Refuge.  The FWNCR  is a hidden jewel- a wilderness comprised of forests, prairies, and wetlands reminiscent of how much of the Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex once looked.

Photo taken by Sha'Toria T.

The drive to The Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge resembled a scene from a scary movie.  The girls screamed, “wrong turn” and “jeepers creepers”, for a few minutes upon our arrival.  They were unsure of their unfamiliar surroundings and asked several times about snakes, and if we (Girls Inc. staff) knew where we were going.  While they were a little unsettled at the beginning, they came around and ended up appreciating the peace of their surroundings.   Their comments eventually turned in to, “this is a place I would like to come for some peace and quiet”, while others said, “it is very relaxing here”.

Photo taken by Sha'Toria T.

The day’s activities included walking through the woods, exploring the bison range, and strengthening our team building abilities and communication skills.  It was a gorgeous Texas day and was perfect to be outdoors.  The girls of Eastern Hills expressed their enjoyment through laughter, jokes, and smiles as we traveled through the Crosstimbers Trail at the Nature Center.  The girls walked 3.37 miles that morning.

Photo taken by Shacora O.

Our hike was accompanied by butterflies and many prickly pear but the girls stayed as far away as possible, as they did not want to get poked by the cacti. The girls who attended this trip were such an inspiration!  They met all of their commitments prior to attending this field trip and we are proud of them.  They joined us on an excursion on a day when they could have stayed in their warm, cozy beds.

Thank you for such a great experience, girls!  It was a great day!

~Ms. Rodriguez