At A Beautiful Me, we believe every girl has the right to a future of her own creation—and confidence is the tool to build it.

This summer, that belief came to life in a powerful new way.

Through a meaningful partnership with Central Michigan University, we launched our very first Summer Intensive, a week-long experience for 5th grade girls from CMU-chartered schools in Detroit. It combined our signature confidence-building workshops with a brand-new afternoon curriculum centered on career exploration, mentorship, and vision-casting.

Why 5th grade? Research from the ROX Institute shows that girls’ confidence begins a steep decline starting around age 9. We meet them right there—at the beginning of that curve—with tools, stories, and sisterhood to help rewrite the trajectory.

Over the course of four days in downtown Detroit, our 11 participants dove into:

Morning sessions where we built confidence through personal narrative, experiential art, and interactive lessons.

Afternoons were filled with powerhouse guest speakers, including:

  • Erica Francis (Fox 2 News) on the art of asking questions
  • Chloe White, who led the girls in designing garments and hosting their own fashion show
  • Rhonda Welsh, who used creative writing to inspire self-expression
  • A panel of dynamic women—Rachele Downs, Nyah Hodges, Tasha Squires, and Brooke Adams—who answered questions the girls developed with Erica Francis and shared their unique career journeys, challenges, and hope for the next generation.

Then came Day 5.

We boarded a bus to CMU’s campus in Mount Pleasant, where for many of these girls, it was their first time setting foot on a college campus. There, they explored dorm life, participated in an entrepreneur workshop, and began to visualize a future they hadn’t yet dared to imagine.

What did we see?
 Confidence.
Curiosity.
Friendships.
And girls who now see a college education not as “other,” but as possible.

One moment I’ll never forget: watching these girls create their dream boards—bright, bold, unapologetic visions for the future. They weren’t just decorating paper; they were rewriting the narrative of what’s possible.

This program had been on our dream board at A Beautiful Me for years. It became a reality thanks to the belief and collaboration of so many at CMU.

Special thanks to Rhonda Welsh, who first discovered our nonprofit while visiting The Closet in Port Huron with her mother. That single moment of connection grew into something so much bigger. Thank you to Shanese Ross-Pierrie, Genesis Maple, and everyone at CMU who helped make this happen—who offered space, speakers, buses, meals, and above all else, belief in our girls.

From the bottom of my heart: thank you.
 The butterfly effect of this week will be felt in these girls’ lives for decades to come.

And to the girls:
Never stop dreaming, creating, learning, and loving.
 You are the change you hope to see in the world.

We would love to grow this opportunity next year, whether at CMU or in collaboration with other universities who share our mission. If you’re interested in supporting or partnering, let’s connect!

Because when confidence meets opportunity, there’s no limit to what a girl can become.

By Ally Birkett