Talk about Gutsy! March 8, 2012My LifeOff

As the first Latina to head the Girl Scouts of the USA and the first woman in her family to attend college, Anna Maria Chávez knows a thing or two about breaking barriers.

In fact, she says she’s always viewed challenges as opportunities. (Click here to read her exclusive profile.)

At the helm of this nearly billion-dollar organization, with 3.2 million members in 92 countries, she knows she’s creating a path for girls to follow that she never had.

And now, in celebration of International Women’s Day and as Girl Scouts approaches its 100-year anniversary on March 12th, Chávez talks to Little PINK Book about taking risks, running an iconic organization and helping girls become leaders.

PINK: What made you a risk taker?

AMC: I’ve always been a risk taker. There’s never been a path for me. I was the first person from my high school to go to Yale. I was only one of 16 Hispanic students my freshman year. In the 100 years Girl Scouts has been around, I am the first woman of color to lead the organization.

PINK: Why do you think there is a lack of women in leadership positions?

AMC: Unfortunately, in our research and daily work with girls, we see them opting out of leadership opportunities. Studies show girls think leadership is important, and certain models of leadership resonate with them. But the current message they’re getting from society is that they don’t have an inherent quality to lead. All girls have the ability to lead, but we have to give them role models to see that path for themselves.

Read more…

By Caroline Cox

“When I commit on behalf of people or a cause, I give it everything I have.”
Anna Maria Chávez

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