Raven Johnson remembers being 7 years old, nervously walking through the doors at Girls Inc. of Central Alabama for the first day of summer camp. A timid girl, she knew none of the girls her age in the program. Yet, her camp counselors were welcoming, encouraging, and intentional in helping Raven fit in and find her voice. Over the next eight years at Girls Inc., Raven blossomed into an outgoing, outspoken, and adventurous young woman. She was voted Senior Class Vice President and SGA President her senior year of high school. After graduating, she attended Auburn University, where she met other girls who had grown up with Girls Inc. These relationships introduced her to a larger community, which – along with the confidence she gained at Girls Inc. – helped lead to her being voted Executive Vice President of the Black Student Union by her peers her senior year. More than 10 years after her life at Girls Inc., Raven’s experiences at those summer camps still impact her daily life. Some of her Girls Inc. instructors were the most influential people of her childhood, and her friendships have been everlasting. Just recently, Raven had lunch with one of her friends from Girls Inc. to celebrate that friend’s engagement. Today, Raven is a teacher. She spends her days advocating for, inspiring, and challenging young minds the way Girls Inc. did for her. Best of all, her classroom motto is Strong, Smart, Bold – the three tenets of Girls Inc.