“A youthful passion for change is afoot in America” shares writer, Kari Henley, in the article Finding Inspiration In Our Youth: The ‘Lost Generation’ Takes a Stand.

Today, on Global Youth Service Day, I celebrate and commend the youth making positive change in their communities and mobilizing others to meet community needs through service.

We recently celebrated the announcement of 10 University of Phoenix Volunteer Leader Honorees who motivate others and are true catalysts for change in their communities.

One honoree, 18-year-old Sejal Hathi, inspired me for her demonstration of leadership, vision, creativity and generosity at a young age.  She is on a mission to empower girls.

When she was 15, Sejal was diagnosed with anorexia.  She was shocked and in denial.

In the aftermath of recovery, she realized that thousands of girls who suffer do not have confidence in their power as individuals.  She made it her lifelong mission to empower them.

Sejal founded Girls Helping Girls (GHG), an international nonprofit organization that partners girls in the United States with girls in schools and community organizations in developing countries.

The girls jointly identify problems in their communities and develop programs to create positive change.  GHG channels the power harvested from the girls’ collaborative service projects to eradicate poverty, increase access to education, improve health, and – most important – promote peace.

Today, GHG volunteers have trained more than 5,000 girls to launch their own social-change projects. The girls are from more than 15 different countries.

The volunteers have also raised nearly $40,000 to provide basic necessities, educational opportunities and social-change workshops to hundreds of deserving but impoverished girls around the world.

When increasing numbers of girls began to approach Sejal asking how they could create programs of their own, she saw the need to connect this growing network of young changemakers. She decided to amplify GHG into a larger movement by founding The Sisters 4 Peace Network, a social-change forum that provides one-on-one mentorship and resources to girls aspiring to create change.

Sejal believes that every girl “has something deep, tangible, and worthwhile to offer” and that we can help even the most destitute recognize their own power and ability by educating them about their condition, making them aware of their potential, highlighting the example of others, and offering training and tools to help them redefine their future.