Top of the Class

"Top of the Class" is an emoji portrait that depicts a college graduate from WomensTrust's amazing programs and includes emojis of babies, batteries, books, girls, keyboards, keys, laptops, lightbulbs, lightning bolts, books microscopes, old women, pencils, telescopes, women who are astronauts, bikers, chefs, dancers, detectives, doctors, executives, graduates, judges, pilots, scientists, surfers and teachers. To these, I add the Ghanaian symbols for Linked Hearts, Love & Security, Intelligence & Ingenuity, and Excellence, representing the types of support provided by WomensTrust as well as the excellence of the incredible, accomplished professional Ghanaian women emerging from the program to provide leadership and inspiration to the younger girls, who see this example and will follow in their footsteps! --@rakelle

For more context, read this quote from Barbara Lucas, Chair of WomensTrust, in this year's newsletter - "After years of helping thousands of girls with the costs of middle and high school, we began to award college scholarships. The first twelve young women to complete the program now have college degrees and are working in their chosen professions as nurses, accountants and teachers. That’s a tremendous accomplishment. But the effects of what they’ve achieved go beyond their personal triumphs. By having them “pay it forward” as role models, meeting with younger girls and inspiring them with their stories, they’ve enabled so many others to see their true potential. Twenty-one additional girls are currently enrolled in college, including one student in medical school. Hundreds of younger girls are determined to follow behind them. We’re helping them to prepare with rigorous after-school programs in English, Math, and Information Communication Technology. Families can now see first-hand the importance of girls’ education. A cadre of educated young women are changing the world they live in, which looks at them with “new eyes,” just as they look at themselves."