Growing up, my early teen years were full of challenges. Everything around me and everything that I did felt like it was shaping who I'd become. Looking back, I didn't have a role model- especially someone who looked like me and shared my aspirations. That's when I realized that I wanted to be that person for other girls - the person I didn't have.

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The idea for Project Ruby started during my freshman year as Project Diamond. Back then, I loved helping my friends come up with passion projects and achieving their goals. Mentoring others made me happy, but I was still figuring things out myself. I didn't have the knowledge to make the organization bigger than myself.

It wasn't until my junior year that everything started to click. After learning more and really listening to what girls around me needed, I came up with a plan - and that's when Project Ruby was born. I chose the name Ruby because it represents strength and resilience, which are qualities I wanted every girl in the program to feel. It's my way of giving back and making sure no one has to feel lost or unsupported as I once did.