About – Girls Who Empower

Who We Are

G.W.E.

Girls Who Empower, Inc. is a non-profit organization passionate about collaborating with high school senior girls who possess a dream and the drive to fulfill their God-given calling. We are dedicated to helping young women who are devoted to their personal development and who will invest in a post-secondary program (e.g., art school, two or four-year college/university, cosmetology, nursing, military, etc.). We are devoted to aiding in the development or maintenance of high self-esteem and self-confidence.

We understand that not every young woman with a dream has the necessary support or guidance; therefore, we aspire to bridge the gap between their goals and accomplishments. We are devoted to educating young girls on the different avenues towards achieving their goals despite their circumstances. Girls Who Empower, Inc. was established to provide underprivileged and under-resourced girls with the best opportunity to position themselves for future success.

What we believe

We believe Jesus Christ has assigned a unique purpose to our existence.

We believe in providing a nurturing space to help young women better understand their why to achieve, give them guidance on how to achieve, and support them in what to accomplish.

We believe it is invaluable to first understand why you want to achieve a goal.

We believe when given the proper guidance and support, every young woman can aim for and attain their dreams.

We believe that every young woman has a calling and is worthy of discovering it, if unknown.

We believe in being an accessible tool to aid in the advancement of under-resourced young women.

Mission

To become the primary foundation that empowers young women so that they too can one day empower others.

Vision

We will increase the number of young women in society who are confident, devoted to self-empowerment, and embrace the power they embody to impact the world.

Purpose

We believe in bridging the gap between high school and post-high school advancement for underprivileged and under-resourced girls by providing the necessary resources for them to evolve spiritually, mentally, emotionally, academically, financially, and physically beyond the program.

WHO I AM

Shabria S. Smith

Founder & CEO

Shabria S. Smith, a native of Meridian, MS, and a current resident of Atlanta, GA, is a follower of Jesus Christ, a wife, sister, friend, and mentor. She is a proud alumna of the illustrious Spelman College, where she earned a B.S. in Chemistry, the prestigious Morehouse School of Medicine, where she earned a Master of Science in Medical Sciences, and Fielding Graduate University where she earned a post-baccalaureate certificate in clinical psychology. One of her purposes is to help women become healed emotionally, spiritually, and mentally as they discover their true selves, which will empower them to succeed in life.

Although Shabria has much gratitude for her academic and professional journey, the transition from high school to college was not the most straightforward process. After attending a university for one year on a full scholarship, she felt led to step out on faith by releasing her scholarship to attend Spelman College. Freshman year gave her clarity about the environment she wanted to be immersed in, the type of career support she needed, and the type of college experience she wanted to remember. Through her experience, she recognized that even with her unique support system that significantly contributed to her success, she could have benefitted from having guidance through a post-high school preparatory program. She knew that many young women could not release a scholarship and transfer schools, some lacked the proper support and guidance to begin, and some were never offered the help. This deficit created a burden and a passion for Shabria to provide underserved young high school girls with a system that would increase their success in transitioning into life after high school.

On May 4, 2020, Shabria founded Girls Who Empower, Inc. after she received God's plan as a college junior in March of 2015. During the last few years of actively preparing the program, God's vision for G.W.E, Inc. became apparent and she knew it was time to present it to the world. Shabria is a woman who seeks to be a solution to a problem. She strives to inspire others through her story and be inspired by the stories of the women who surround her. She lives by the Girls Who Empower, Inc. mission, which is "striving to empower young women so that they too can one day empower others."