Marie Claire “Young Women’s Honors” Announces its Support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn Initiative

First-Annual Show Celebrating Accomplishments of Exceptional Young Women to Air Nationally on the CW Network on Monday, December 19

Honorees to Include Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles, Physician Dr. Vanessa Kerry,
Sexual Assault Advocate Amanda Nguyen and More

LOS ANGELES – (November 17, 2016) – The Marie Claire “Young Women’s Honors” presented by Clinique announced that they will be supporting First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative during their first-annual event. The First Lady will open the show with a special video message discussing the importance of adolescent girls’ education around the world.  Award-winning actress and socially conscious crusader Gina Rodriguez will serve as host and executive producer of Marie Claire “Young Women’s Honors” airing Monday, December 19 at 9 PM EST on The CW Network.

“The Marie Claire Young Women’s Honors is a global platform that will discover, honor and celebrate women who demonstrate confidence, intelligence and leadership that will inspire others to follow,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a true honor to have First Lady Michelle Obama and Let Girls Learn featured at this event.”

The President and First Lady launched Let Girls Learn in March 2015 to address the range of challenges preventing adolescent girls from attaining a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential.  Let Girls Learn combines the necessary political will, diplomacy, grassroots organizing and development expertise to create lasting change. To take action and help girls around the world get the education that they deserve, supporters can visit http://letgirlslearn.gov.

“It is a privilege to have First Lady Michelle Obama involved in the Marie Claire Young Women’s Honors,” noted Anne Fulenwider, Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire. “Our magazine has a rich history of empowering women of all ages and we are thrilled to support First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative in a meaningful way.”

The Marie Claire “Young Women’s Honors” will share untold stories of inspiration from empowered females worldwide who are breaking down barriers and debunking stereotypes. Confirmed honorees include:

Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast, having won a combined total of nineteen Olympic and World Championship medals.  She is the 2016 Olympic individual all-around, vault and floor gold medalist. Biles was also part of the gold medal-winning team dubbed the “Final Five” at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

Fereshteh Forough, the founder and CEO of Code to Inspire.  She is bringing hope, opportunity and empowerment to women and girls in Afghanistan, changing cultural norms along the way. Forough educates female students in her homeland by teaching them how to code to improve their technical literacy.

Dr. Vanessa Kerry, a critical care physician and founder of Global Seed Health, which in partnership with the Peace Corps, sends volunteer health professionals abroad to educate/train locals to build healthcare workforces there. In return, some of their med school loans are repaid.  She is daughter of John Kerry.

Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, a 22 year old physicist, MIT graduate and Harvard Ph.D. Candidate. She has already had job offers from Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon and Aerospace developer and manufacturer Blue Origin. She is studying string theory and high energy physics and has advanced the understanding of gravitational memories.

Tatyana McFadden, a multi-talented athlete who is considered one of the fastest wheelchair runners in the world.  She dominates the Paralympic games and world championships, wins marathons and even has a silver medal in cross country skiing.  McFadden works as a national advocate for equal access for people with disabilities. She’s a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts and on the Board of Directors of Spina Bifida of Illinois.

Madison Maxey, who builds prototypes, writes code, and generally experiments at the intersection of design and technology. She focuses on smart fabric and creative technology, especially related to smart apparel computational design.

Jessica Matthews, the founder of Uncharted Play, which makes a soccer ball and jump rope (soon, a skateboard and basketball) that generate electricity to provide off-grid power in developing communities with thousands distributed in Africa, Mexico and the U.S. She’s received many honors including Fortune’s most promising Women Entrepreneurs (2015).

Amanda Nguyen, who empowered millions of sexual assault survivors like her across the country by changing the law. She is a Harvard graduate who worked with members of Congress to draft a bill or rights for survivors of sexual assault.  Nguyen is an aspiring astronaut who founded Rise, an all-volunteer nonprofit that advocates for basic civil rights for sexual assault survivors.

Sponsors of the event include Clinique and Lord & Taylor.

Gina Rodriguez and Emily Gipson will serve as executive producers for I Can & I Will Productions, and Andrea Regalado will serve as co-executive producer. Good Entertainment (Teen Choice Awards) and Primary Wave Entertainment will serve as the studio to produce and co-finance the televised awards ceremony.  Michael Burg, David Guillod and Jeff Straughn will serve as executive producers, along with and Ben Silverman for Propagate Content.

About Let Girls Learn
In March 2015, the President and First Lady launched Let Girls Learn, a whole of government effort to address the range of challenges preventing adolescent girls from attaining a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential. Let Girls Learn employs a holistic approach to change the perception of the value of girls at the individual, community and institutional levels; foster an enabling environment for adolescent girls’ education; and engage and equip girls to make life decisions and important contributions to society. Building on U.S. government expertise, Let Girls Learn elevates existing programs and invests in new efforts to expand educational opportunities for girls—including in areas of conflict and crisis. The initiative leverages public-private partnerships and challenges others to commit resources to improve the lives of adolescent girls worldwide. For more information, visit http://http://www.letgirlslearn.gov/

For more information on Young Women’s Honors:

Instagram.com/YoungWomensHonors
Facebook.com/YoungWomensHonors
YouTube.com/YoungWomensHonors
Twitter.com/WomensHonors

#YWH
#HonorCelebrate