Member Spotlight - Chandler Crates

• Congratulations to Chandler for being chosen for our member spotlight! We'd like to recognize her for being with for the entirety of the 2018-2019 school year. She's also one of our sweetest, most helpful, and most active members. 
  ​Read more about her below!
  
  

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Chandler Crates
Hometown: Plano, TX
Major: Chinese Language and Culture
Certificate: Global Management

What are three things on your bucket list as you enter your Junior year? 
"Next year I'm hoping to:

1. Explore more of Texas. I just wrote an article on natural Texas wonders for a publication I am a part of called Her Campus. I loved researching these areas, and learned of so many beautiful places in Texas I had never heard of before, such as Caddo Lake and Gorman Falls. I would love to visit these landscapes and see more of the vast state I call home!
2. Studying abroad. All students pursuing a Certificate in Global Management are required to study abroad in order to harness cultural knowledge and experience. Next spring, I will be studying abroad in Shanghai and pursuing an internship that will help cultivate both my professional and language skills.
   
3. Volunteer more! I have enjoyed all of my volunteer experiences through Girl Advocates! so far, and am hoping to become even more involved next semester by taking full advantage of the opportunities the organization has to offer. "
   

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What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given? 
"The best piece of advice I've ever received came from a singing coach several years ago. He said that 'in any given situation, an individual can choose to be either intimidated or inspired by greatness.' I think that in a world where so many wonderful people accomplish amazing things, it's easy to feel small and intimidated. However, there are still many things that have yet to be accomplished. Whenever I'm feeling small, I remember this piece of advice and am inspired by the amazing accomplishments of those around me. I smile when my sister Campbell wins an award for singing or acting, or when my sister Cameron runs a half marathon. I admire my friend Kylie for her fearless ability to pursue academic opportunities and my friend Meg for her immense capacity to comfort and care for her friends. Greatness comes in all forms, big and small, and people such as the ones listed above inspire me everyday to be a better person and accomplish more in my personal life." 

What's been your favorite thing about being a GA! member so far?
"I joined GirlAdvocates! last semester because I wanted to become more involved with the communities around me, both at The University of Texas and in Austin at large. This organization has provided me with so many volunteer opportunities, and my favorite so far was serving as a workshop assistant for the We Are Girls Austin Conference last November. This conference is held annually by the Girls Empowerment Network, aims to inspire young women in the Austin area to recognize their worth and potential as young girls entering the social world. My favorite workshop I assisted with revolved around first graders creating mood boards. For those who don't know, creating a mood board entails flipping through magazines to search for inspiration and cutting out various images and words that speak to you in order to create a meaningful and personal collage. Walking around the room and watching these young girls create their mood boards filled me with so much hope and joy. I looked at words that young girls cut out such as "love" and power" and watched as one girl wrote "be yourself!" and "make a difference!" on her own board. Assisting with this workshop was such an incredible experience because it showed me that girls as young as 7 already have a pretty strong sense of who they are, which is a hard thing to wrap your head around. I believe that as older women in society, we have a social and moral responsibility to continue supporting, inspiring, and empowering young girls to achieve their dreams and accomplish great things."

Why should others join GA!?
"GirlAdvocates! has made such a positive impact on my life, and I would strongly recommend joining the organization to anyone who wants to make a difference and interact with women in the Austin community. The organization has a strong mission of "empowering girls through education, self-image, and mentorship" and I think that this goal is super important to the future successes of women in all spheres of life. You should join GirlAdvocates! because empowering women is important. You should join because the organization is full of accepting and inspiring women with diverse interests and talents who want to make a difference in girls' lives."