THE FOUNDER'S STORY
SOMETIMES PURPOSE IS BORN FROM THE MOMENT LIFE CHANGES.
Girl, Yes You Can! began with a deeply personal realization: crisis can change the direction of a woman's life—and having someone in your corner can change what happens next.
FROM CRISIS CAME PURPOSE.
In 2007, the woman who would become the founder of Girl, Yes You Can! found herself facing a season that changed the way she understood crisis, support and survival.
She had experienced sexual assault on a college campus.
Later, an abusive relationship contributed to the loss of her job.
And suddenly, circumstances she never imagined confronting became very real.
During that period, she came to an unsettling realization:
"WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF MY FAMILY, I COULD HAVE BECOME HOMELESS."
That realization stayed with her.
Not simply because of what had happened to her—but because of the question it created:
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WOMAN WHO DOESN'T HAVE SOMEONE TO CALL?
What happens when she is experiencing abuse?
When she loses her income?
When housing becomes uncertain?
When trauma follows her into school or work?
When she is trying to raise children while holding everything else together?
When one more crisis becomes one barrier too many?
Those questions became impossible to ignore.
I WANTED WOMEN TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO TURN.
Girl, Yes You Can! was founded in 2007 with a desire to help women facing crisis know that they did not have to navigate those moments completely alone.
The vision was never about rescuing women.
It was about standing beside them.
Listening.
Connecting.
Encouraging.
Advocating.
Helping identify resources.
And reminding a woman during one of the most difficult seasons of her life that the crisis she was experiencing did not have to become the conclusion of her story.
TRAUMA CAN DERAIL A LIFE.
BUT TRAUMA DOES NOT HAVE TO DEFINE A LIFE.
THE NEED WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
When the founder began working at Solano Community College, she quickly began seeing women pursuing an education while simultaneously navigating extraordinary circumstances outside the classroom.
They were students—but they were also mothers. Employees. Caregivers. Survivors. Women experiencing financial hardship. Women carrying grief. Women navigating instability. Women trying to build a different future while still managing the realities of their present.
Some needed resources. Some needed advocacy. Some needed encouragement. Some needed connection. And some simply needed someone to notice that they were struggling.
The founder realized that the purpose behind Girl, Yes You Can! belonged here too. Girl, Yes You Can! was brought to Solano Community College as a program designed to create community, connection, opportunity and support for women pursuing their educational and personal goals.
LIFE DOES NOT STOP WHEN A WOMAN BECOMES A STUDENT.
Trauma does not disappear when class begins. Neither do financial hardship, housing instability, motherhood, grief, abuse, hunger or the responsibilities waiting outside the classroom. Sometimes persistence requires more than determination. Sometimes it requires support.
WHAT I KNOW NOW.
I know how quickly life can change.
I also know what it means to have people who refuse to let you fall alone.
That is why Girl, Yes You Can! matters so deeply to me.
I want the woman who is struggling to know:
Before you give up, reach out.
Before you decide you cannot continue, let someone know what is happening.
Before you assume there is nowhere to turn, give us an opportunity to stand beside you.
We may not be able to solve every problem.
But we can listen.
We can advocate.
We can help look for resources.
We can remind you that you still matter when life is telling you otherwise.
And sometimes, that is where continuing begins.
WOMEN MUST STAND TOGETHER.
Girl, Yes You Can! is built on the belief that women should not have to navigate every challenge, transition or opportunity alone.
Sisterhood means more than celebrating together when things are going well.
It also means noticing when another woman is struggling.
Reaching back. Opening a door. Sharing information. Making an introduction. Offering encouragement. Standing beside her.
I SEE YOU. I'M HERE. KEEP GOING.
THIS STORY IS BIGGER THAN ONE WOMAN.
What began with one woman's experience has become a growing community built around sisterhood, leadership, financial empowerment, academic excellence and wellness.
Girl, Yes You Can! creates opportunities for women and individuals who identify as female to connect, learn, grow, lead, experience new opportunities and support one another.
The founder's story explains why GYYC began. The women who become part of GYYC will determine what it becomes.
ONE WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE CREATED A PURPOSE. TOGETHER, WOMEN CAN CREATE A MOVEMENT.
THERE'S A PLACE FOR YOU IN THIS STORY.
Come as you are. Discover what you need. Find where you belong. And when you are ready, help another woman do the same.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER
If you are here because you need community, I hope you find it. If you are here because you need encouragement, I hope you receive it. If you are here because life has become difficult, I hope you allow someone to stand beside you. And if you are in a season where you have something to give, I hope you will reach back and help another woman rise.
We need one another. We are stronger together. And whatever brought you here, I hope you leave knowing one thing:
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO LIFE ALONE.
Because Girl, Yes You Can!
