WriteGirl has thousands of alumnae studying and working all over the world. We’d like to introduce you to a few.

Lovely Umayam works for the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., focusing on nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security policy. She participated in WriteGirl for five years, working with her mentor every week. She was a high-achieving student who benefited from the freedom to create, as well as the individual support of her mentor, something that was difficult to find in her large urban high school. Lovely was the first in her family to attend college. She continues to support WriteGirl and recently represented us at a special forum for women sponsored by Maria Shriver in Washington, D.C.

Jeanine Daniels just landed a series production deal with HBO and is working on the pilot script for The Couple, a show she created and wrote, building a huge national following as part of the Black & Sexy TV online network. She has worked as a writer, producer, director, editor and actor on a string of web series. Jeanine is a graduate of Pitzer College, which she attended on a full scholarship. Jeanine participated in WriteGirl for three years, working with a mentor who was a professional screenwriter. Jeanine now volunteers her time representing our program and inviting mentees to intern on her media projects.

Jamilah Mena is not only the first in her family to attend college, she is, as her father stated so eloquently at a WriteGirl celebration, the “first in her tribe” to attend. Though born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Jamilah has a strong sense of cultural identity as a Garifuna, an Afro-Caribbean tribe living mainly in South and Central America. Jamilah is a graduate of Dartmouth College, which she attended on a full scholarship. She now teaches English in China and is applying to law school, aiming for a career as a human rights attorney. Jamilah participated in WriteGirl for four years, working weekly with her mentor. She continues to be a resource for WriteGirl mentees and advises them on college and career options.