Give Back

By Allison Hata

Lucy Santana of the Girls Inc. of Orange County Imagine a world where we’ve closed the gender gap. Where women climb the corporate ladder at the same pace as men, earn equal pay and command the same level of respect as male counterparts. Now look at the calendar. It’s the year 2157. That’s how long it will take to achieve gender parity in the workplace unless the landscape changes. This is the stark picture that Girls Inc. of Orange County CEO Lucy Santana is painting for local business leaders and decision-makers, while extending an open invitation for them to get involved in the solution. Serving around 4,800 girls from kindergarten to 12th grade last year with free after school and summer programming, Girls Inc. is one of many organizations aiming to

ready the next generation for the workforce. The nonprofit is rallying big support from the community in this effort, including some of the top names in OC business: Allergan, Boeing, Ingram Micro, Edwards Lifesciences and Taco Bell, to name a few.

“At Taco Bell, we are always striving to … uplift and inspire young people, and set up our future leaders for success. That’s what Girls Inc. stands for — they provide young girls with the expertise and tools to lead and become women of the future,” says Kelly McCulloch, chief people officer of Taco Bell International.

Taco Bell is one of the newer companies that signed on in 2021 for the Girls Meet the Workforce initiative, a four-month externship program that offers high school students training in business skills before matching them for up to 16 hours of on-site corporate mentoring. Programs like these are helping to strengthen college and career readiness for teens, with 90 percent of girls planning to go to college and 85 percent knowing what education or training they need for their career.

“I’ve had an amazing experience with my mentor, Julie, who currently serves as the global chief legal officer at Taco Bell,” says Alyssa, a participant in the Taco Bell cohort. “This placement really could not have been any better for me, as I have an interest in pursuing a legal based career. Outside of my placement with Taco Bell, I’ve also taken advantage of additional workshops like Bank of America’s managing money series.” And it’s not just impactful for the girls; it’s meaningful for employees as well, prompting them to reflect on their own early work experiences and role models as they pay it forward with Girls Inc. “As a young girl, I always looked up to my mom for her work ethic and professionalism. So much so that as a young teen, I helped with her wallpaper business by becoming a ‘wallpaper installer pro,’” Kelly says. “At the time, I didn’t realize it, but now that I’m a mother, I can see how those days of hard work, sharing stories and advice shaped me to be the woman I am today.” For Edwards Lifesciences’ director of THV quality compliance Renee Van Dorne, the impact is multifaceted: “My strategy is to mentor them oneon-one, have them work on networking through practicing their elevator speeches, having them interview other employees in line with the girls’ area of interest and have them learn about what Edwards does,” she says. “From an Edwards perspective, this is a way to foster the next generation of employees that will be greatly needed in the future. From my personal perspective, these girls recharge me with energy and give me hope for the future.” Beginning workplace conversations early with youth from predominantly low-income, underserved communities in O.C. has helped provide a stepping stone as they apply for college and plan their careers, but Girls Inc. leaders realized there’s more work to be done.

“For girls to reach the C-suite, especially those who will be the first in their family to go to college, support must continue beyond high school,” Lucy shared in an op-ed she authored for the OC Business Journal. “Our newest program, Project Accelerate, picks up where Girls Meet the Workforce leaves off.”

Created to propel more women — particularly women of color — into leadership roles, the new program offers college students mentorship from female executives and an internship placement during their senior year. An area of focus is on STEM occupations, including engineering, computer science, mathematics and information technology. After announcing the launch last year, Girls Inc. is now turning to the local business community for support. A new business leadership council comprising corporate and community leaders will aim to influence the culture of diversity and inclusion in Orange County. And outside of funding, the nonprofit needs corporate partners to provide real-life work experience through internships and female leaders to mentor young women as they journey into the professional environment. The end goal is to help young women like Alyssa graduate from college on time with a plan that will take them into the early stages of their careers. They’ll enter the job market with internship experience on their resume, interview skills and a network of professionals in their desired field. “I know that I will be able to apply the skills I obtained through this program to both my academic and professional life, whether that be with relation to networking, interviewing or risk-taking,” says Alyssa. “This experience has further reinforced my career interests and given me real-life preparation for today’s workforce.” Contact Orleda at orledaa@girlsinc-oc.org to learn more about getting involved with Girls Inc. as a mentor or have your company join as a program partner.