Talent development is her mission. I felt it was important to discover why women in particular did not fulfill their own dreams and goals. Bright girls receive rewards for intellectual achievements throughout girlhood. Then the rules change. When they are 12 or 13 years old, social achievements become the most important.
Many girls resent that shift.
The researchers asked high schools to recommend girls who were getting good grades in math and science but who were at-risk because of alcohol or substance abuse, problem pregnancies, family financial woes, and other crises. Almost every teacher has a girl who she really worries about. Several things were interfering with her studies. She works at a fast-food restaurant to help her mother pay rent. She helps care for her younger brother.