SHE IS THE UNIVERSE
Empowering girls through mentorship, community and storytelling
“ I am going about this as if the future of the world depends on these girls, because it does!.” — Laura Peña
Laura combined her passion for travel, storytelling, and girls empowerment to create She is the Universe. After traveling to 5 continents and talking to 100s of girls, Laura could start to form an idea to a question that was in her heart: What do girls today need from all of us to get to where they want to get in life?
This question came from her frustration of meeting so many extraordinary women and seeing them not pursuing their dreams. Laura wondered where in life do we stop believing in ourselves and our Power? And why there are not more women leaders around the world?
Laura set out on a quest to talk to as many girls as possible and through listening, try to understand what girls need to get to where they want to be in life. She went on an adventure to travel the world to document the stories of 111 girls from 6 continents, of all shapes, sizes, colors, languages, and cultural and socio-economic backgrounds for She is the Universe. By amplifying the voices of these girls, Laura found her own voice and purpose in life.
After interviewing on camera 70 girls, in 20 cities, 13 countries, and 5 continents, and talking to hundreds of girls, the insights these girls share are the magical result of what happens when I, Laura Pena—an immigrant woman of color from a third-world country, now an American citizen—sit in front of a girl in her own community with a camera and an open mind to capture her unique story. By giving girls a powerful platform to share their voices, She is the Universe delivers a message of empowerment, hope, and possibility to the world.
