Courtney Callahan

Coach. Mentor. College student. Advocate. Girls Inc. alum Courtney Callahan has a passion for our mission. It has taken her all the way to Capitol Hill and back to the basketball courts of her local Girls Inc. center.

Courtney Callahan, a longtime member of the Girls Inc. of Fort Smith, Arkansas, spent her days at Girls Inc. working on her basketball skills. 'When I first played I was terrible, but I knew I had discovered something I wanted to pursue.' Now Courtney, a former Girls Inc. National Scholar, is finishing her sophomore year at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She is majoring in science education with a concentration in chemistry, but her mind is still on the game.

Perseverance is a team skill that has never let Courtney down. 'In junior high, I got really good at basketball, but when I made it to high school I discovered that I wasn't as good as I thought,' she says. Instead of feeling defeated, Courtney dedicated her summers to improvement-- practicing three to four hours a day. She believes that her stamina and determination came from the support she got at Girls Inc. 'Those were lessons that I gained from participating in Girls Inc. programs, getting to know Girls Inc. counselors and being around my peers at Girls Inc.'

_____________________ 'Being a member of a Girls Inc. community changed my life.'
--Courtney Callahan, former Girls Inc. National Scholar
_____________________

Today Courtney gives back to Girls Inc. by volunteering as a basketball and soccer coach. 'I want to help other young girls find that something that burns within them. I want to let girls know that, win or lose, they are all very special and worth every minute of time I spend with them,' she explains. Courtney knows all too well how important it is to give her time and bring something of herself to the girls who play on her team. She has also learned that even the smallest contribution can make a big difference. One girl on her team could not afford shin guards. 'I gave her a pair of my old ones. I would have bought her twenty pairs just to see the smile on her face,' Courtney recalls. At practice, that same girl handed her a piece of paper. 'It's my game plan, coach!' the girl exclaimed. Courtney cherishes this winning moment. Her support had started a little fire in one girl. Now she is excited to ignite the energies of other girls who come to the playing field.

Courtney took her inspiring message to the nation's capital last May, where she joined five other National Scholars as representatives during the Girls Inc. Girls' Rights Week. She participated in a town hall meeting with community leaders from local businesses, government, media, and not-for-profit organizations. Together, the group identified ways in which adults and girls can work together to address the gender issues that still limit girls' lives.

'Being a member of a Girls Inc. community changed my life,' Courtney says. 'It helped me believe that I could set any goal I put my mind to, no matter what the odds or the obstacles. It gave me support to take risks, and bounce back even when I failed. That's a lesson I'm anxious to pass along, and hold onto through my life.'

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