Meet Our Team!

GEM (Girls Empowerment Movement) was founded by a group of junior and senior girls at Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, California. We are passionate about building independence and self-esteem in middle school girls. We will host the third annual GEMfest, a day-long event with inspiring guest speakers and hands-on workshops for approximately 200 middle school girls, on Saturday, February 29, 2020. GEMfest provides inspiration and education about tools for success in middle school, high school and beyond. 

Sarah

Sarah is currently a senior at Sage Hill School and this is her second year on the GEM Team. She hopes to inspire young girls to be confident and let them know that they can achieve anything that they put their minds to. Besides being a part of the GEM Team, Sarah is the only girl on Sage Hill's Boys' Varsity Water Polo Team and also a member of the Varsity Swim Team here at Sage. In her free time, she loves to hang out with her friends and family, and try new things.

Kaylie

Kaylie is currently a senior at Sage Hill School and she is excited for her second year on the GEM Team as the co-president. Through GEM, she hopes to inspire young girls to be confident in their own skin. Kaylie believes that empowering girls from a young age will help them live happier and more successful lives. Outside of school, Kaylie is a coxswain on her Girls Varsity Rowing Team.  In her free time, Kaylie loves going to the beach and spending time with friends.

Kaylana

Kaylana is a senior at Sage Hill School and is super excited to be co-president of GEM this year. She has her second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is very passionate about girls empowerment. She teaches young girls self-defense at her Tae Kwon Do studio, and Kaylana is also involved with ACEing Autism, Struck magazine, mock trial, latin club, and much more! Kaylana is very excited to be involved in GEM, and she hopes that she can inspire and be a role model for many young girls.

Ben

Ben is a senior at Sage Hill School. Through hearing about the empowering message of GEM from his older sister, Hannah (a GEM founder), he decided to join the team. This is his second year as a member of the GEM team. Having an older sister, he wants to show how boys can be supportive and empowering to young girls. Outside of the GEM Team, he is a member of the Varsity Football, Soccer and Golf teams, while also being part of the MUN team and student council.

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Ari

Ari is a current junior at Sage Hill School and is very excited to be a part of the GEM team. She attended the first-ever GEMfest in 2018 as an eighth grader and hopes to be the empowering high school role model she once looked up to in middle school. Outside of GEM, Ari is a member of the Sage Hill Varsity Cross Country and Track & Field teams and enjoys soccer, STEM, and spending time with friends and family in her free time.

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Victoria

Victoria is currently a Junior at Sage Hill school and is so excited to be part of the GEM team this year. Through GEM, she hopes to inspire confidence and teach girls how powerful they can be if they just believe in themselves. Victoria plays golf with the girls golf team at school. She also enjoys dancing, roller skating and hanging out with her friends.  

Courtney

Courtney is a junior at Sage Hill School. She attended GEMfest in 8th grade and is very enthusiastic about being on the GEM Team this year. She wants to empower a generation of confident young women to help provide the tools for them to take on the world. Outside of GEM, she plays on the Sage Hill Varsity tennis team, writes for publications, and is a program director of ACEing Autism. ​

Riya

Riya is a junior at Sage Hill School. Having volunteered at GEMfest for the last two years, she is excited to officially be a part of the GEM team. She hopes to empower young girls and help them overcome any challenges they may face in high school and beyond. Outside of GEM, Riya is the editor-in-chief of The Bolt Online, the founder and co-president of the community service club World Wishes, and participates in Academic Decathlon and DECA. 

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Kiana

Kiana is a junior at Sage Hill School. Through GEM, Kiana hopes to inspire and empower young girls to understand their strength and ability to accomplish anything. Outside of GEM, Kiana is a student ambassador and member of the Sage Hill Girls’ Varsity Basketball team. 

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Audrey

Audrey is a junior at Sage Hill School and she is delighted to be on the GEM Team. She hopes to inspire girls to be the best version of themselves and that girls are here to support each other. Audrey plays volleyball at Sage, is a flutist in winds ensemble, and is on mock trial. Outside of school, she enjoys painting, loves to travel, and she volunteers on the governing body of the Assistance League of Tustin.

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Elise

Elise is currently a junior at Sage Hill School. She attended the first GEMfest and also volunteered for GEMfest as a freshman. Through GEM, Elise hopes to help young girls find a passion or hobby that can empower them in their everyday lives. Elise believes that all girls should be offered the resources to find their voice and the confidence they will carry on their shoulders throughout middle school, high school, and their lives. Outside of GEM, Elise is a Student Ambassador, Sage Hill Dance Team Co-Captain, and a reading mentor and advocate for literacy in her community. 

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Hannah

Hannah is currently a junior at Sage Hill School and is very excited for her first year on the GEM Team. Having grown up in Memphis, Tennessee, her experience at an all-girl’s school inspired her to become more involved in girls’ empowerment. In her free time, she loves getting involved in Sage’s volunteering opportunities and has recently started working at Hoag Hospital as part of their Candy-Striper program. Hannah looks forward to being a part of GEM this year and hopes to be a role model for younger girls. 

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 Our Founders

 Ishani
​Boston University

 Hannah
​UCLA

 Karli
​Tulane

 Eliza
Washington University in St. Louis

Lilly​
School of Visual Arts

GEM Team Class of 2020

Ezugo
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Cornell University

Darcy

​USC

Karina
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UCLA

Lizzy
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Boston College

Nicole
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Wesleyan University

Leslie
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Tulane University

Linda
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Parsons School