The story of how three girls from different parts of the world became friends for a lifetime…

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them” - Walt Disney

By Julia Wilma and Girls Future Ready Foundation, 2023

Picture this: 200remarkable women from diverse corners of the world, 6 months of extraordinary journey, 6exhilarating challenges, unforgettable memories and bonds of friendships that will last a lifetime.

And guess what? This isn’t just a dream; it’s the reality made possible by the Girls Global Ready program, organized by the Girls Future Ready Foundation.

Every year, 100 young women from Central-Eastern Europe (mentees) and 100 girls from English-speaking countries (mentors) are granted the extraordinary opportunity to connect and make international friendships.

You can find more information about the Girls Global Ready program and the 2023–2024 edition at the end of this article.

This article is based on an interview with the winners of the Grand Prize of Girls Global Ready 2023 (a trip to New York City for the winning group to meet each other in person) - Julia Kras, Marlena Morgowska (mentees from Poland) and their mentor, Alethea De Melo from London, England.

Keep reading to get to know Julia, Marlena and Alethea’s story of international friendship, global support and endless memories that will last a lifetime, which they’ve developed throughout the Girls Global Ready program . Who knows maybe next year it will be you?

When asked about the reason for applying to Girls Global Ready, all the girls responded with similar arguments. Firstly, Julia and Marlena, mentees from Poland, highlighted the opportunity to meet a native English speaker and improve their English level with someone who is the same age, allowing them to have authentic conversations and gain valuable insights into the culture and language in a stress-free environment. Secondly, the girls emphasized that GGR was the perfect opportunity to practice speaking the language,while improving fluency, confidence and other crucial skills to be #futureready. For Alethea, the opportunity to be a mentor was what encouraged her to give the program a go!

I found out about the program from my friend and I thought, that sounds so cool! That’s when I signed up.’

Another aspect of the program that was crucial for the girls, were also the challenges themselves! Through regular meetings and working on the monthly challenges on some of the most pressing global issues, such as access to education or mental health, the girls were able to learn so much about the surrounding world and each other, gain digital skills, new knowledge, and develop their global mindset. Just look at the amazing example of how the challenges helped Alethea gain more real-world knowledge!

”I live in the UK but I was born in India so I liked using both roots while doing the project about women in STEM. One of the women we wrote about, Anandi Gopal Joshi, was from India and she became a doctor when she was nineteen years old. Her husband flew with her to America to get a medical degree because she wasn’t able to do so in India and she was the first Indian woman who became a qualified doctor of western medicine! I remember talking about the story and thinking how lucky we are in the current world - but there are still things to change”

Each year, the GFR team makes sure that the matches between English speaking mentors and mentees from Central-Eastern Europe are as best and closest as possible. In the 4th edition of the program, we partnered with MasterMatch, an organization which was able to utilize digital skills and match the girls accurately - with an algorithm! The matching was based on the interests of the participants, as well as their age, nationality and English language level. The connections that the girls established throughout the program showed to be very strong due to many similarities between the partners - which was also the case in Alethea’s, Julia’s and Marlena’s team, or, “ggr_girls”, as they called themselves on social media.

“At first I was worried we’d have nothing to talk about with each other,” said Marlena. But that was definitely not the case! In the interview the girls stated that even though they met every week, they always had topics to talk about. “We also talked about some personal things, how our days went, and we got along so well!’ added Julia. And it can definitely be noticed by anyone who has a chance to talk to them - the energy the trio radiates, their enthusiasm, passion for the challenges and most importantly, their friendship, are extraordinary! Being hundreds of kilometers away from each other, Alethea in London, UK and Julia and Marlena in their respective home cities in Poland, did not stop the girls from getting in touch and having a great time throughout the program, making the most of what technology offers - video calls, group chats, social media accounts and much more! By getting to know each other’s cultures, everyday life and of course completing the challenges, the girls were able to get the most out of the program. The challenges of GGR are also there to help the participants develop professional and personal skills, such as public speaking, networking, project management and more! “My digital and graphic skills improved so much - I’ve never used Canva before!” - added Marlena, and Alethea and Julia agreed with her, adding that Marlena quickly became a professional at using the platform.

But before we move on to telling you everything about the New York trip…

It turns out that you don’t have to travel to another country to get to know its culture!

Alethea, Marlena and Julia could taste a bit of each other’s home environments and traditions by engaging in long discussions and finding the differences and similarities between them. As we all know, broadening one’s knowledge about different cultures and being open minded to the wonders of the world is not only interesting and transformative, but can sometimes be funny and surprising as well! When the girls were asked about something that staggered them about each other’s cultures, Althea said “Poland and the UK technically are not very far from each other but there are so many things we do differently, like holidays!” She then proceeded to think about a holiday that particularly caught her attention and the pronunciation of which she practiced with her partners “Oh I remember! It was called “śmingus dyngus” and all the girls burst out laughing in a supportive manner.

What encouraged the girls to complete all the challenges and stay in the program for all of its duration? The aspect of cultural exchange was definitely crucial for all of the laureates!

However, Alethea, Julia and Marlena all agreed that winning the New York trip wasn’t the main reason for applying to the program - similarly to what the winners of the previous edition had said. “I remember on the form it said that the winning team gets to go on a trip to New York and I knew that’s for sure not gonna be us - but it is still fun to apply, fun to do it” said Alethea. Little did she know that they could and they would!

Unfortunately the time in the program had to come to an end. After 6 months of online meetings, completing the challenges, taking part in masterclasses and meetings with other groups taking part in GGR, it was time for the participants to attend the Final Gala of the program - where the girls could listen to an inspirational talk by Raquel Mata, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at Rare Beauty and the winners of the May challenge were to be known! That same day, the winners of the GGR Grand Prize - a trip to New York, would be announced as well!

This amazing Grand Prize was awarded to Alethea, Marlena and Julia - whose story of a global friendship was just about to begin. The girls recall the moment they learned they won very fondly “When the gala happened we thought - it’s okay if we don’t win, we will meet in London and pretend London is New York!”. “When the trip was announced and we saw each other’s faces, we were so excited and surprised”, they recall.

The girls were finally going to see each other in person.

Now…. Let’s move to the part that we’ve all been waiting for. Sit back, relax and prepare yourself for the trip to the city “that never sleeps” - New York.

New York City, often referred to as “the Big Apple,” is a dynamic metropolis renowned for its diverse culture and iconic landmarks. With its towering skyscrapers, bustling streets, and a truly diverse environment, it is a city unlike any other. The girls describe the city as “New York is very much like in the movies” said Julia and Alethea. “A completely different world than Europe. You can get used to that when you live there” said Marlena.

For the girls, their trip to New York City was more than just a vacation and meeting together for the first time. It was a dream come true, a chance to see the places they had only ever seen on big screens, read about in books or heard of from others.

For the GGR laureates New York City was like stepping into a movie. They recalled the moments when they were walking through the city streets, gazing at the familiar places they had seen in popular shows such as “Gossip Girl” - Alethea, Julia and Marlena definitely enjoyed sitting on thesteps of the Metropolitan museum! It was for sure a surreal experience, as they felt like they themselves were part of a movie.

The girls truly experienced the best of the best in New York - from living at Times Square, visiting the Rockefeller Center, Museum of Modern Art, going on a Statue of Liberty cruise, seeing the Brodway musical “Chicago”, to strolling through Central Park, trying delicious NY bagels and enjoying time together among many many more amazing activities. The days spent in NYC for sure were intense - in the best way possible, and they became memories for a lifetime!

When asked about their favorite New York attraction, Alethea answered “The musical. It was incredible. I had never seen the show before, and the music and costumes were amazing.” Marlena added, “After watching it, I realized how much fun musicals can be. I want to see more and more.” Lastly, Julia shared, “I saw Chicago for the second time, and it was a fantastic experience!” Chicago is the longest running revival show on Broadway and the girls definitely were in for a treat!

The girls also recall some funny moments from their New York trip! “None of us have ever been to America before and we were trying to figure out the system there. When we were up on Top of the Rock I really wanted to use the binoculars to see the NY skyline. Me and Marlena were huddled together to try to understand the American coins! You needed to put in two “quarters” and we were thinking - “what is a quarter?”! We were both going through our purses and identifying what every single coin was!” Alethea recalls.

This article is coming to an end, but the story of Alethea, Julia and Marlena has just begun. From the moment the girls met online for the first time, through the 6 months of weekly meetings during the GGR program, to the first time they saw each other in person in NY and gave each other a big hug, a moment which Alethea describes as “my favorite moment from New York”, the girls have shown just how strong their friendship has become. The quote from the beginning of the article, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”, is a perfect example of what the GGR participants did - they had the courage to apply to the program, break barriers, go out of their comfort zone and chase their dreams. And the dreams did come true!

Even though the 4th edition of the GGR program has come to an end and Alethea, Julia and Marlena came back from New York, the girls are already planning to keep in touch and visit each other in London and Warsaw very soon. We are rooting for you!

Last but not least, some words of friendly advice from the GGR 2023 winners.

Julia - “Do the program challenges! They are great to develop personally and learn. Just have fun. Update the GGR community about your life, build relationships!”

Alethea - “The program is not supposed to be a competition even though there is a prize. Help each other. Work together. Talk to your partners on the calls, that is the best environment to practice, even if you are a bit shy. It is a safe place to speak.”

Marlena - “Just be yourself. Talk, get to know each other!”

To all of you who are still not sure about applying to the Girls Global ready program - look through the article again :))! The time in the GGR program was a very adventurous one for all the participants. Thanks to the program they had an opportunity to learn new skills and what is most important, met friends from across the ocean. We are really proud of you girls, about what you achieved and will achieve, your motivation and dedication. We know that this is not the end of your story, this is only the beginning!

The applications for the 5th edition of the program are now open! Give it a go! You won’t lose anything, you can only gain - an international friendship, being part of a global community, finding out more about world issues and perhaps even exploring a new city and a completely new culture. Apply through the application form here: https://tally.so/r/nrabp2.

This article introduces the story of Julia Kras, Marlena Morgowska, and Alethea De Melo - the winners of the Girls Global Ready 2022/2023 program. It demonstrates what you can gain from being a part of the program and how, with the right mindet, you can make your dream of traveling to NYC come true!

About the Girls Global Ready Program:

GGR is one of the flagship programs of Girls Future Ready Foundation and was organized for the fourth time in 2022/23. For 6 months, from December to June, groups of mentors and mentees get a chance to participate in challenges, based on some of the most pressing global issues, and win fantastic prizes at the same time. From making presentations and recording videos about access to education to writing letters, making infographics and doing research about female scientists, sustainability and activism, the participants get a very well-rounded experience. The program equips girls in skills to be future-ready, facilitates improving their English language and helps connect girls from different cultures, so that they can share experiences and create bonds for a lifetime!

Girls Global Ready focuses on nourishing the global mindset - enhancing communication, leadership skills and teamwork. Being curious about the world and other cultures, going beyond the borders. Being open minded and motivated to make a change in one’s community. These characteristics are what we believe help one become future ready and the GGR Program is the best opportunity to do so.

About the winners of the 4th edition of GGR:

Alethea De Melo - “I am currently a student studying cellular and molecular medicine at the University of Bristol. I am a big formula 1 fan and also love to read! I’m currently trying to learn Portuguese (204 day streak on Duolingo strong 😎) and aim to learn Spanish at some point in the future too.”

Julia Kras - “Hi! My name is Julia and I’m a second year student at Warsaw School of Economics majoring in Global Business. In my free time I love doing pilates and reading.”

Marlena Morgowska - “My name is Marlena and I am a student at the University of Warsaw. I love sewing clothes and in the future I wanna specialize in the fashion business. I am also interested in human psychology and love reading books about it! Traveling to NYC has always been my dream and I can’t wait to explore the city and create the best memories!”