College Girls Rock: Advocating for Female Enrollment and Achievement in College

Black Girls Rock, a TV program that debuted on Black Entertainment Television in 2010, celebrates the accomplishments of black females. That program has inspired two UWG students, Tyler Lanier and Ericka Claudio, to launch an organization on campus that recognizes and promotes the achievements of female college students in order to inspire younger girls to attend college.

“We could have easily called it ‘Black Girls Rock’. We just wanted everyone to understand that it’s not about race, it’s about the college experience as a whole. Whether you are black, white, Asian, or Hispanic, you are still going to go through the same trials and tribulations….We are focused on getting everybody together to help make the college experience better,” Lanier said.

Lanier based the program off of a program she used to participate in during high school. The program, Girl Talk, focused on high school girls mentoring middle school girls. For College Girls Rock, the focus will be on college girls mentoring high school girls.

“There’s always a lot of girls who want to be celebrities, because that’s all there is on TV. There’s not really anyone being inspiration for girls to go to college,” Lanier explained. It’s the organization’s goal to “educate, enlighten, and inspire.’

While the focus may be on younger girls, the organization still seeks to make a difference on campus as well.

“Every month we’ll have a program called ‘What’s up with that?’ held in a lecture hall about different topics. The first one will be about the freshman experience. We’ll have different upperclassmen tell freshman different perspectives about the freshman experience and what to expect,” Lanier said. “…We also have a big Thanksgiving dinner planned for the domestic shelters and other shelters in Carrollton. We’re going to try and get high school girls to come so they can understand the importance of community service and giving back to your community for the purpose of, not only womanhood, but of giving back.”

All female students at UWG are encouraged to join the organization. There is no GPA requirement and it is free to join. However, a student’s GPA is a factor for those interested in e-board positions. Currently, it is planned for the organization to meet every other week.

For those seeking more information or to contact the organization, please follow the group on Twitter at @CgirlsR_uwg or e-mail the group at collegegirlsrock.uwg@gmail.com.

In the meantime, check out this short video with Lanier.