Kendra Chiota Payne

The 2019 sports interns, Cassie Bija and Rachel Hildenbrand, worked with the Isla Vista Youth Program over a six-week period in the summer. Cassie and Rachel introduced a group of 25-30 young girls to non-traditional and traditional recreational activities, including Frisbee, dodgeball, soccer, capture-the-flag, and various team-building activities. The girls also gardened, created vision boards, made cookies, and wrote messages in bottles to their future selves.

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In addition to the large group activities, Cassie and Rachel met with 8-12 girls for hour-long sessions to discuss life lessons that reflect Kendra’s values of tenacity, courage, creativity, and mindfulness. The interns guided the young girls towards a deeper appreciation of themselves and their self-worth.

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“Though I went into this internship expecting to be a mentor and leader, I was amazed by how much I got out of it. I shared my love of sports with a group of amazing young ladies and left feeling as though I gave genuine direction and actionable advice. It was an incredible feeling, and one that I hope to take with me as I continue to act as a proponent for women, especially now that I've seen the way in which sports empowered those girls.

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Each girl had a unique background: different family structures, cultures, and struggles. I saw the girls break out of their shells and dare to be more courageous, open, and loud. I am honored to have been part of that story. Thank you for the

opportunity to meet these young ladies, and for allowing all of us to be inspired by Kendra.”

“When I first heard about this internship, I could not have been more excited to give back to the community, while also furthering my passion to work with children and sports. I had high expectations for this internship, and was blown away after meeting these tenacious, inquisitive, and sometimes-goofy young girls. It was humbling and extremely gratifying to see the excitement on their faces when we showed up and how they learned to share their experiences with us.

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I cannot describe the feeling of having a girl who barely talked during the first-week run up to us on the last day with her newfound confidence. I am honored to have been chosen as an intern in Kendra’s name, and I can assure you her spirit is still touching and enriching the lives of many."