LIFE

Teens are capable of anything: running a business, raising cash for a cause, making a difference, inspiring others. There are great girls everywhere—and in our new “Great Girls” series, created in partnership with Barbizon Modeling, we’ll shine a light on remarkable young women with incredible stories. Whether you get some solid ideas or just some serious inspo, take notes on these top-notch teens—and maybe we’ll be sharing *your* story someday soon.

Meet Marcy...

This girl is goals. Marcy Flores, 19, started giving back to her community during high school—and it quickly became her most important passion. It all began with a blanket-making project to aid orphans and homeless teens...and now, Marcy runs her own personal coaching program to mentor at-risk and low-income children. This California-born teen—who was also crowned Miss Los Angeles Teen Icon 2015 and Golden State’s Perfect Teen 2015—is a firm believer that making a difference is an important part of following your dreams. Read on more about Marcy...



GIRLS’ LIFE: Tell us a little bit about the blanket-making project you started. What inspired you to make blankets for others, and how did your blankets benefit the community around you?

MARCY: My passion for blanket making began in school where my friend Julie inspired me to join her blanket-making project. She found places that needed blanket donations and I helped plan blanket-making gatherings with our friends. We all pitched in and started making blankets by cutting and tying together different prints we liked. I later transferred to a different school and decided to start my own blanket-making project there. At my high school, we worked with Covenant House and gave the blankets to homeless youth in L.A. This project created an environment of giving and allowed young girls at my school to directly impact the lives of others who were less fortunate. To the homeless youth, it was a message of encouragement that showed we were there for them—even if we didn’t have direct solutions to their problems.

Working with CrownAdemy, you developed a youth coaching program. How does your program benefit at-risk and low-income kids?

I grew up next to east L.A., where I saw that a lot of people didn’t grow up with the best circumstances. I saw friends drop out, get in trouble and get caught up with the wrong crowd. I developed this program as a way to enrich children and foster personal development. The other part of the program offers interview coaching, etiquette coaching, and more. This summer I will personally get to work with children from the Olive Crest Abused Children foundation to guide them through a goal plan.  I will encourage them find programs that they love, from academic enrichment to art or sports. At CrownAdemy I am also the Programs Director, where I help members find charities or design projects for causes they want to help. I’m currently in the process of launching public workshops in my city where I hope to bring in guest speakers who can offer new perspectives to the children. It would be amazing to see my workshops expand to other cities in the future so boys and girls everywhere can learn skills to become successful!

How have your titles as Miss Los Angeles Teen Icon 2015 and Golden State’s Perfect Teen 2015 helped you inspire other girls?

These titles have opened up opportunities that have allowed me to truly become a role model. Being a role model means I am able to inspire people and bring attention to charitable causes and important events that we should all be learning about. I also hope my titles encourage girls to join pageants and build self-confidence, speaking skills and entrepreneurial skills (like building a brand). I hope to inspire people with my words and move them to take part in the things they love and feel passionately about—such as music, sports, animal rights, anything! I want girls to know that if we all support each other we can live in a society where our voices are heard, where girls can dress, talk, play any sport and do any job (like STEM)! I am so grateful that Barbizon gave me the skills and confidence necessary to achieve these titles and become a role model for others.

Considering everything you’ve already accomplished, what are your goals for the future?

I want to go to medical school for nutrition and preventative medicine. I also recently stared cycling, and I set a personal goal to get strong enough to compete in a race. I’d love to run for mayor one day! My future can go in many directions—everything is possible, and I want every young girl out there to feel the same.

Want to make moves like Marcy? CLICK HERE to get more information about programs from Barbizon Modeling. Follow Marcy on Instagram and Facebook.

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