Assignment #2-Interview Feature Story-Rough Draft

Christina Collinge

COM 3330/04

February 9, 2011

Rough Draft-Assignment #2 Interview Feature Story

   

     In 2002, Haley Kilpatrick started an organization that would forever change the lives of middle school girls. Born in 1986, Kilpatrick was always an extremely bright kid who got great grades and loved interacting with people. However, starting in middle school, Kilpatrick had a hard time with the hormonal, pressures and the anxieties one young girl goes through. In addition to her hormonal struggle, Kilpatrick found it hard to find friends and to be self-confident while developing into a young woman. At the age of 15, she decided to start a non-profit organization that would help a middle school girl’s transition from a child into a young lady as smooth and productive as possible. This profound organization is called Girl Talk.

     Kilpatrick started Girl Talk at Deerfield Windsor School in Albany, Ga. Her idea was to create an absolutely free program that would pair middle school girls with high school girl mentors. Once the program got going, she knew it was what she was supposed to do with her life. Kilpatrick graduated from high school and proceeded to attend Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga. where she majored in communication with a concentration in public relations. While attending the university, Kilpatrick continued to pursue Girl Talk all around the state of Georgia. Kilpatrick graduated from KSU in 2007 and really got the company rolling in the right direction.

     In 2008, Erin Patterson, a KSU student majoring in communications with a concentration in public relations, was honored to be Kilpatrick’s intern at Girl Talk. When Patterson graduated from KSU in 2009, Kilpatrick was pleased to hire her as Girl Talk’s first full-time employee. Patterson started immediately and began her title as the Chapter and Programs Coordinator.

     Girl Talk functions mainly through its chapters, which is sustained by Patterson. Each chapter contains a group of middle and high school girls, an adult volunteer, and an advisor whom is usually a counselor or social worker. All chapters are completely free, and the Girl Talk curriculum is offered online, or a hard copy of the curriculum can be ordered online. Some of the lesson plans administered by the high school girls are being nice, how to be a good friend and community service.

    The second main function of Girl Talk is through its Project Inside Out summer camps that are all located in Atlanta, Ga. Each camp session is a weeklong day camp that inspires middle school girls through impact sessions, community service projects, high school girl mentors and key messages from community leaders. Camp is a great place where the girls can all learn and be inspired from one another.

     “All middle school girls look up to the older high school girls. These mentors truly change the young girl’s lives and it is so amazing to watch the middle school girls blossom into young women during one week at Project Inside Out!” Patterson said.

     I got a chance to sit down with Patterson and talk with her more about Girl Talk’s mission and the importance of Project Inside Out summer camps.

Collinge: What is Girl Talk’s mission and what does it mean to you as your job and how does it affect your everyday life?

Patterson: Girl talk’s mission is to help teenage girls with building self-esteem, develop leadership skills, and recognize the value and importance of community service. My job means the world to me. I always wanted to work somewhere that I truly believed in, and now I come to work every day knowing that I am a part of changing girl’s lives. It’s awesome! And does it affect me as a person? Yeah, it does. I change lives while I’m at work, so I really try to continue to do the same thing while I’m away from work.  

Collinge: That’s great! Can you tell me about your middle school experience? Would you have liked to be a part of Girl Talk when you were in middle school?

Patterson: My middle school experience over all was pretty good. I was a part of the dance team, danced at Atlanta Ballet, and had a great group of friends. All in all though, I think that if I could have been a part of an organization like Girl Talk, I would have had much better self-esteem and less anxiety about my transition through my teen years. So yes! I would have really enjoyed Girl Talk.

Collinge: It sounds like an awesome program. Do you want to tell me a little more about the summer camps?

Patterson: Of course. Project Inside Out is a weeklong camp in the summer and it is all about inspiration: getting inspiration through our guest speakers, the older girls, volunteers and the impact sessions! The camps were designed to help middle school girl’s blossom as much as they possibly can in a week’s time. Some girls even come to more than one camp because they just don’t want to leave! The camps really are a great way for the girls to open up and overcome the obstacles they struggle with.

Collinge: How cool! What is the most fabulous thing you have seen at a camp session?

Patterson: I’m so glad you asked this. Her name was Amanda. The first day of camp she was so shy, didn’t know anyone, and she held her head down at all times. It was so sad. But I tell you what! The last day of camp, she was on the stage giving her testimony about how much she loved Girl Talk and how confident she was about herself. It was so inspirational to see that.

Collinge: Wow. It sounds like you have one of the best jobs ever.

Patterson: I definitely do.

     Girl Talk, with the joint efforts of Kilpatrick, Patterson and the insane amount of volunteers, has now reached 46 states and more than 32,000 girls. It is also the fastest growing nonprofit organization in the nation. Kilpatrick’s goal is to make sure that all 50 states have a Girl Talk chapter by the end of the 2011 school year.