1. GENaustin's programs have made an impact on thousands of girls in Central Texas and beyond. Here are just a few stories from young women who describe how they have changed through our programs:

"… one of the best parts is seeing people many years later and seeing how maybe they are affected by clubGEN, or just having that relationship, that special close relationship you had with them, even for a short time, one year in their life - you had that and shared it, and so many years later you remember it. And it's cool because…you just don't have that in many other aspects of your life, at least not starting at such a young age. And also I really enjoy seeing girls work to their full potential - it starts out not knowing what is going to happen in clubGEN and by the end of the year you see this metamorphosis."

2. "When I was in middle school and early high school I had a really rough time and I dealt with it in unhealthy ways. Getting to the point where I had gotten over it and come to a better point in my life and being able to help these girls maybe deal with their problems in a better way, it made me realize that what I had gone through maybe it's for a reason that I was bringing somebody else knowledge and helping them - just to save somebody else from the trial and hurt that happened to me."

3. "Each year I keep learning stuff from the program and from being involved…I learned really good listening skills. I've almost learned so much I wonder, how do other people learn these things? I've learned so much about group dynamics, how different people work together…I've learned to have faith in other people, and to be the gardener and let them grow. That took a while to learn. It's really rewarding to have this beautiful garden to look at afterwards…One that is most important to me, though, that I just sort of started to realize - is that I have the ability to define my role as a woman...I definitely attribute that to my experience here in clubGEN. Not just my life decisions I'm making, but I am dreaming much bigger than some of my friends, and I know it's because of the influences I've had here. I am attracted to different types of friends than maybe I would've been, like people who I think would've been great in clubGEN. Other people who are interested in defying the societal role of women. Fearless women who empower me. I've been around women who empowered me and I empowered and we have that relationship we built, and those have been some of the most rewarding relationships I've had, and so I think I seek that in other women now."

4. "Development of skills - how to listen, how to be open-minded - I think you can recognize that in yourself in a year. But in terms of what changes in your heart, and what changes in your mind and the way you look at things, I think that requires some critical distance....I need girls around me saying 'you can do it because you're talented.' You miss growing every week, and building little blocks - you put together legos of self-confidence and girl power and then you feel like you're on top of this mountain, and you can do anything."

5. "As soon as the club started I felt that I had a group of girls that were always going to back me up. Which is such a nice thing to have in middle school when you feel so alone in everything. A couple of the girls in club were in P.E. with me and backed me up when someone was making fun of me. Because we had this bond and knowledge together that we should support each other, they were willing to speak up for me. Which happened so many times that year I can't even count. That happened immediately. The long term of it is that I am still really good friends with at least three of the girls that were in club with me and we still have that bond where I know that they'll always back me up. Another thing that stuck with me was being in clubGEN with people who I didn't know previously and maybe had some preconceived notions about, realizing they were different than I thought they were. It immediately changed my mind about who they were, and then as the year progressed I started thinking well if they could be different than I thought they were, then maybe everyone else in middle school is different than I thought they were…I can pinpoint that being in club at the age of 12 was when I started really thinking about people in different terms."

6. "…one of the girls we really saw a change in last year, she had different body issues - she had a lot of scarring and different things that made her really self-conscious. She'd wear long sleeves, and jackets, and different stuff like that. You could just tell, she was very self-conscious and withheld. By the end of the year she was wearing short sleeves…she made so many new friends with all of the girls. She spoke so much, she put so much out there. You could just see this huge change in her. And that happening so early on for her was going to get her so far. That happened for me a little later in my life, but for that to happen for someone so early, it's going to be a great thing. She won't have so many problems learning to be okay with herself, and to not listen to what immature boys say or whatever."

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