On a summer afternoon, 28 girls in a Wofford classroom looked into handheld mirrors and, one at a time, said something kind about themselves.
“I am wonderfully made,” one student said, while others called themselves smart, loving and talented, each receiving applause and encouragement from their peers.
This was one of the activities geared to inspire and uplift teen and pre-teen girls at Brown Girls Read’s Crowned & Confident Summer Camp, hosted June 26-28 at Wofford College.
“This summer experience is designed to empower girls through literacy, leadership, creativity and self-discovery,” says Nicke Haney, CEO of Brown Girls Read. The club, founded by Haney in 2020 and based in the Upstate, inspires and supports young women of color through mentorship, programming and book selections centered on their voices.
Over the weekend, campers participated in workshops on branding, communication, leadership, team building and personal confidence led by professional women and entrepreneurs. Campers also attended a book panel with authors India Hill Brown and Ase Otite, who discussed storytelling, inspiration and the power of representation in literature. During downtime, campers spent time with Wofford student mentors.
Logan Woodruff ’28, who volunteered alongside her twin sister Kennedy Woodruff ’28, as well as Jeyada Atkins ’28 and Nia Foggy ’28, says Brown Girls Read gave her the opportunity to provide the kind of support she wishes she had as a kid.
“I was shy and sheltered growing up, so I love that Brown Girls Read stands for instilling resilience and self-love early in life,” says Woodruff, a biology and chemistry major from Boiling Springs, South Carolina. She and Atkins continue their work as youth mentors and afterschool tutors for Brown Girls Read during the academic year as part of their Bonner Scholars service-learning commitment. “The students that I mentor help me as much as I help them. I make sure I am walking with confidence because they are watching me.”
Atkins, an international affairs major from Sumter, South Carolina, says she enjoyed talking one-on-one with campers and seeing their growth throughout the experience.
“Over the weekend, I noticed girls forming friendships and coming out of their shells,” she says. “I hope this experience makes them feel supported and motivates them eventually to become mentors themselves.”
For Haney, the camp’s partnership with Wofford means much more than having a beautiful location to host the experience.
“Wofford creates an environment where our girls can see themselves as future students, scholars and leaders,” she says. “By opening its doors and investing in their potential, Wofford helps make our mission tangible. Together, we are creating experiences that inspire girls to dream bigger, believe in themselves and confidently pursue their futures.”