Baruch College’s chapter of She’s the First assembled on May 7 to fight against girls’ education inequality by hosting a fundraising carnival on the second-floor lobby.

The club’s last event of the semester, “Pay it Forward,” included baked treats, henna, raffles and nail painting. 

She’s the First serves to support girls who will be the first in their families to graduate high school and train students everywhere to be global leaders. They strive to provide young girls with education, mentorship and global leadership training.

The club members remained at the second-floor lobby for four hours, seeking to promote the club’s goals and sell their baked goods and services. 

The henna and nail polishing station were especially popular. Baruch students also lined up to spin the prize wheel and win a prize. Girls around the world face numerous barriers to education. These obstacles include poverty, long and dangerous routes to school, higher costs of higher education levels and early marriage traditions.

Although a substantial amount of progress has been made in girls’ education and gender equality since 2000, an estimated 98 million girls worldwide still remain out of secondary school, according to the club. She’s the First President, Anastasia Krasilnikova, explained the mission of the event as a fundraiser for international female education efforts.

“Every dollar we will raise at this event will go towards the goal of helping girls in low-income countries graduate high school,” she said. “We send money to the non-profit, which provides teachers, education, transportation [and] textbooks to these girls. Anything that we are privileged to have here in New York City, that other women would literally die for.”

The impact of higher education has been shown to bring about increased economic success for women. 

She’s the First’s website states that with every year of schooling, a woman ends up making 20-percent more than she would prior.

She is also less likely to marry early, increasing the chances of a healthy relationship. 

An educated woman also usually ends up having fewer, healthier children and she is even more likely to have a large positive impact on her community and the world at large.

The club has been reaching it’s set goals so far, as Krasilnikova reports, “We’re doing great! Our goal for the whole year was $400, which is enough to support one girl. We have already made $900, so we are raising much more than expected, enough to support two girls!”

The donations reach girls in a number of different parts of the world, including Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Peru, Tanzania, The Gambia as well as the United States.

Sorena Fabre, a member of She’s the First’s creative committee, expressed her goal as a member of the club.

“We are trying to get people engaged in She’s the First to help them learn about what we have to offer and to help us raise money for the cause,” Fabre said.

Baruch students seemed to be interested in the cause. Clifford Lalanne expressed his appreciation for the club’s goals.

“I did not realize how many girls around the world are not able to have access to education. We take everything we have for granted here. We are so privileged to be able to be here,” he said.