Chinny Okpara, Founder of Girl Space ATX

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I grew up as the youngest of 5 in a small town in Southern California. After skipping 4th grade and leaving the comfort of my foundation behind, I decided to take on the role of a wallflower: shy, and preferring to blend in, rather than stand out. Cue the bullying, little sense of belonging and questioning of self worth. Ultimately, I found my safe space with a few close friends and burying myself in sports and academics. Little did I know that my participation in these groups would bring me some of the best friends in my life who would help me navigate breakups, rejection, an eating disorder and other huge life transitions.

Full-ride volleyball scholarship to a Division-1 program at the age of 17? And across the country from everything you've ever known? Yes please! Cue *learning how to manage freedom* in the sweet (and best kept secret, in my opinion) state of Rhode Island after taking little to no risks in middle and high school. Boyfriends, betrayal, self-esteem and my first taste of anxiety. Here we go!!!

You know that moment in college when you realize the major you had was probably not the right one for you? But you stuck with it because of the expectations that others had for you? Yes, we've all found ourselves in a bind once the people-pleasing gig is up and it is fully out of alignment with who we want to be. And then to find out that not only did you not want to become a dentist after all, but that you'd prefer to teach after you promised yourself you'd never become a teacher as the daughter of a veteran teacher and administrator in your hometown. Funny how things come full circle. Spoiler alert: I absolutely loved teaching! Landed my first job at Creekside Middle School in the Bay Area and then went on to teach at Mountain View High School in Silicon Valley.

Fast forward to 3 years after starting my first year of teaching and the love of my life (now husband) floats the idea of dropping everything to travel the world. What was my response? (Omitting expletives), "[BLANK] THAT!" This rule-follower would have nothing to do with traveling the unbeaten path. Little did I know, it would be the experience to crack me wide open. After letting the idea grow on me, we sold the cars, put our belongings into a storage container, left our jobs (he worked online, so it was really just me leaving my job) and we were off! Hong Kong, Thailand, Bali, Singapore, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria... Hands-down, the hardest thing I've ever had to do was to "let go" and accept the un-doing and rewriting of yourself that comes with traveling. This vacancy is exactly where the beginnings of Girl Space was born. I knew that my gifts revolved around working with youth in authentic spaces. And then the thoughts began to form... A safe, fun, vibrant space where teens could come engage in programming that was relevant while simultaneously hanging with their besties in a semi-organic format? Say less. Fully inspired, fully alive. The seed was planted...

But there was always a part of me that longed to be steady, to grow roots and to be "home". And so, on paper, we chose Austin for its sunny weather and friendly people. Not to mention the gem of a job that I landed at Headwaters School in Austin, TX. Imagine getting to work with a community that felt like family. Yes, this was that. From the students, parents, colleagues and administration. Who knew that a school community could be this close? It was everything and more.

4 years, 2 babies (Hi Isabelle & Jonas!) + a pandemic later, I revisited the parts of teaching that brought me the most joy: The connections with each of my students and being a part of their life journey. And so I would revisit those core elements and remember the spark of excitement I had when I started to build Girl Space in 2016 in Bali. Once again, I'd go off the beaten path to create the "thing" that I felt the world needed more of: Authentic spaces for girls* to be themselves, to explore their curiosities amongst peers and deeply within themselves, and finally to nurture friendships and connections that would be the foundation of their understanding for healthy relationships for years to come. There are few times in life where you feel truly alive and like you're walking in true alignment with your purpose. This is Girl Space ATX for me. And I'm SO glad you're here.