Hello! Merhaba! ¡Hola! Salam!

My name is Lara Cakir. I am a 17-year-old community leader, social entrepreneur, and activist hailing from Edison, New Jersey. As a Turkish-American woman, I am very passionate about fighting for a society in which there is an equality of opportunity for all individuals, regardless of their identity.

I first joined the Girl Up Campaign in my freshman year of high school as a general member of my school’s Girl Up Club. As a sophomore, I was promoted to the Executive Head of Sponsorship and Communications position. Since then, I have been serving as the Leader/President of the Tri-State (NJ, NY, CT) Coalition, using my platform to lead several fundraisers and events for my school’s chapter, including an annual Girl Hero Event in which I enlist guest speakers from across the country to share their experiences with the members.

I use my position as an Opinion Staff Writer for my school’s award-winning newspaper, The Hawkeye, as an outlet to address socioeconomic issues, such as the correlation between gender identity and outstanding student loan debt. Moreover, in my capacity as the Founding Vice President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Gold Bear Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing necessary care to the economically disadvantaged, I have successfully conducted several donation drives, including a period product drive.

I channel my passion and creativity into my social entrepreneurship venture, Puppi Slimes. As Founder and CEO, I have worked to create a business with a unique mission and vision: to offer an affordable, accessible product to buyers while positively impacting local, national, and global communities.

Despite living in the United States, I continue to engage with my Turkish community. I am an active member of Turks Without Borders. As “Nöbetçi” (Team Leader), I help my peers in Türkiye learn English. By discussing captivating topics each week with them, I am able to assist them in improving their grammar, comprehension, and interpersonal skills. Being able to help my “brothers and sisters” on the other side of the globe is beyond gratifying. By encouraging them to become global citizens and instilling in them the love of learning a foreign language, I am serving a broader community than I ever thought would be possible.

I am a rising freshman at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am an aspiring Business/Economics major who hopes to concentrate on the cultivation of a sustainable, equitable future for all.