Keyanna's Story

WOMEN'S WAY funded Alice Paul Leadership Program combats the diminished confidence and self-esteem well-documented among adolescent girls. Lead-A-Way, one of the signature programs of the Leadership Program, is a series of 10 workshops for seventh and eighth grade girls that focus on women leaders and building leadership skills.

Participating in Lead-A-Way gave one Burlington Township Middle School student, Keyanna, “something to be proud of.” She enjoyed the program so much she has continued to be involved with the Alice Paul Institute (API), which runs the Leadership Program, for the past three years.

Keyanna has become an active member of API’s Girls Advisory Council (GAC), a group of teens who advocate for API in their schools and communities. As a GAC member, Keyanna was among a group that produced a short video for the girls of Awegys Secondary School in Kigo, Uganda. API has been working with the Mtaala Foundation to foster a video exchange between the girls.

Of the experience, Keyanna said, “I have learned that the word ‘girl’ is synonymous with excellence, perseverance, and selflessness.” Recently, Keyanna was a featured speaker at the organization’s Equality Awards Dinner, speaking to a crowd of 300 about how API has impacted her life. API is proud of Keyanna’s accomplishments and is delighted to have her as a representative of the best of the Alice Paul Leadership Program.

WOMEN'S WAY grantee Alice Paul Institute (API) works to preserve and honor the legacy of Alice Paul by educating the public about her life, preserving Alice’s birthplace Paulsdale, developing future leaders, and achieving women’s equality.