She’s EmPOWERed: Meet the Maryland Teen Empowering the Next Generation of Girls

Posted on by empoweredflowergirl

During Women’s History Month, Empowered Flower Girl is proud to spotlight a young changemaker who isn’t waiting for permission to lead. At 16 years old, Karishma Sharma is making her mark as a visionary social impact leader committed to closing the gender confidence gap for girls.

Karishma is the founder of BoldHER Future, an initiative designed to help young girls build confidence, find their voice and step boldly into leadership. What makes her work especially powerful is that it is deeply personal. After recognizing her own struggles with self-doubt and hesitation in the classroom, Karishma turned her experience into action. Instead of shrinking, she chose to study the issue, exploring the neuropsychological and social factors that contribute to declining confidence among adolescent girls.

“I recall not raising my hand in class sometimes even though I had something important to say and I learned over time that many young girls were experiencing the same lack of confidence in comparison to boys. I learned that confidence is something that you are not born with but that it is built,” Karishma said.

Through BoldHER Future, Karishma is translating research into real-world impact. She hosts free workshops and events that equip girls with tools to speak confidently and embrace who they are. One standout moment included a “Speaking with Confidence” workshop where participants courageously introduced themselves and shared what they were most proud of. She has also convened powerful conversations like “The First to Be HER,” featuring influential women leaders across government, media and healthcare. Her recently launched mentorship program, pairing “LeadHERs” with “DreamHERs,” further extends her impact by fostering meaningful, confidence-building relationships.

Karishma’s bold leadership has not gone unnoticed. Her work has earned media recognition, including coverage by WTOP News, highlighting her commitment to empowering the next generation of girls.

Looking ahead, Karishma aspires to study entrepreneurship and business, with plans to grow BoldHER Future into a global movement. Her vision is clear: a world where girls are confident, heard and unapologetically themselves.

Follow Karishma and BoldHER Future

Instagram: @boldher.future 

TikTok: @boldher.future  

LinkedIn: Karishma Sharma

Helping Kids Manage Their Unique Pressures Starts by Being a Healthy Role Model

Posted on by empoweredflowergirl

By Amanda Henderson

Being a child isn’t always easy. While it’s true that there are few decisions to make in the early years, children learn to make decisions later on by watching their parents. If you are a positive role model, you will empower your kids to be healthy and independent adults.

The Pressures of Today

Kids today are under more pressure than ever. Our youth — especially teenage girls — deal with issues that we never did. Social media is an especially difficult hurdle for young girls to handle, and it unfairly puts ridiculous expectations on how they should look, act, and befriend.

Be EmPOWERed is a great book to read as a parent and to share with your daughter. It will walk you through Rasheda’s heart-wrenching journey through her victory of how she learned how to embrace all of the beautiful things that made her different.

It is not just girls that have to live up to an unrealistic standard either. Once young people enter college — and even before — they may experience what the Child Mind Institute calls “duck syndrome.” This is essentially a way to describe the turmoils that people are dealing with individually without letting the world see. It references how waterfowl seemed to glide without obstacles on the water while, under the surface, they must kick violently to stay afloat.

How You Can Encourage a Healthy Reality

As a parent, teacher, camp counselor, or other type of caretaker, you can model behaviors that will serve as a life-long example for the children in your life. Doing things, such as refusing to live up to social media standards and embracing your own reality will go a long way toward encouraging kids to do the same.

The online world is not the only place that you can model a healthy adult life. In the real world, talk to your children early about the future. Let them know that there is nothing stopping them from pursuing the life they desire. To do this, however, you need to live your own reality and take your own advice. If you are stuck in a go-nowhere job, look inside for the courage to go back to school.

Let’s say that you wanted to be a software systems architect in high school but chose an easier path. You can take an online computer science course now and earn a degree so that you can master your professional earning capacity. Plus, you’ll be following your dreams, and your children will see that you face your fears and overcome them.

Other ways to encourage healthy habits in children include:

● Get plenty of sleep. Teenagers are especially prone to forgoing bedtime so that they can finish homework or stay up late to chat with their friends. While both academics and socializing are crucial to their development, teach them that their health is also important by creating an environment that encourages everyone to go to bed at a reasonable hour.

● Don’t bow to peer pressure. We tend to think peer pressure is something that only affects those under 18. This is absolutely not true, and adults are often faced with decisions to make based on behaviors by their friends and acquaintances. Remember, you don’t have to go out every weekend even if your divorced friends are. By prioritizing what’s important to you and not bowing to everyone else’s whims, you show your child that it’s okay to be independent and follow their heart instead of the crowd.

Obviously, this is not a full guide on how to be a role model for your children. But living your own reality and encouraging healthy habits are a great start. Remember, everything you do now will be embedded in your children’s brains and will become the map for their own adult life. Children will do as you do, not as you say, so make the most of your behaviors. All eyes are on you.

About the author

Amanda enjoys writing in her freetime, and recently decided to create safechildren.info

How to Support Youth in Crisis

Posted on by empoweredflowergirl

A new school year has begun. The excitement of new teachers, new classmates and new experiences is present for many young people. But for some children and teens – especially those experiencing mental health challenges – the new school year can be daunting,.

As mentors, educators, parents and youth advocates, we have a responsibility to make sure young people have the resources and support they need to be successful in school and in life.

If you encounter a young person in crisis, do you know the steps to take to ensure his or her safety or wellbeing?

Earlier this summer, I became certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. And the training didn’t cost a dime.

What is Youth Mental Health First Aid?

It’s a course designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.

Many organizations/institutions across the nation are offering the eight-hour course FREE of charge. Find a course in your community today.

September is Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month. If you know someone at risk, don’t be afraid to intervene. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255 if you or someone you know needs help.