From 12 Ambassadors: The Most Rewarding Aspects Of Starting A CHAARG Chapter

Starting a CHAARG Chapter on your campus can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your college career. It’s an opportunity not only to leave a legacy on your university campus — but to change women’s lives for generations to come! I’ve been out of college for 5 years now + it is still so exciting to see what the University of Cincinnati CHAARG Chapter is up to + to know that I was able to help have an impact on women that I’ll never even meet. We wanted to see how starting a CHAARG Chapter had impacted other Founding Ambassadors… this is what we learned! 

PS — Thinking about starting a CHAARG Chapter at your university? We review apps throughout the year. Head to our Start A Chapter page or email [email protected] to learn more! 

“It has taught me so much about myself + has prepared me for my life ahead. Starting something from scratch, even though it might be insanely difficult at times, was so rewarding — it taught me how to deal with a great amount of accountability + stress, but also how to be a mentor to people.”

• Sarah Uddin, Temple University Founding Ambassador, @sarahu.inCHAARG

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Starting a CHAARG Chapter on campus changed me into being the person that I want to be, not who college tries to mold you into being.My freshman year, I avoided talking about eating healthy or my struggles with anxiety because I felt one in a million, but CHAARG makes you a part of a larger community.

“Now I have a fitness instagram [what I never would have imagined that I would do] + talk about my mental health journey. I feel more comfortable in my own skin knowing that at least 96 other girls feel the same way as me.”

• Kiely Curran, Clemson CHAARG Founding Ambassador, @kielyis_inCHAARG

“As a transfer student [I transferred 3 times before I decided to stay at UWM], I never felt like I was apart of something on campus. When I found out about CHAARG I knew I had to start it, not only for myself but for other girls who felt the same way I did. Once the Chapter was up + running I realized that these girls [our members] were helping me grow + learn more than I ever could have imagined. I felt connected to campus, which I hadn’t felt at any other school, + learned skills no classroom could teach me. CHAARG was one of the biggest + most impactful things from my college career + I am so thankful for it. While my priorities are on my future career as a PA right now + I am no longer a part of CHAARG, I will always be their biggest supporter + cannot wait to see how CHAARG grows in the future!”

• Bella Stechschulte, University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee Founding CHAARG Ambassador, @bellarae2872

“Founding a CHAARG Chapter started out as a solution for myself + my lonely freshman year. I hadn’t found my place on campus + felt like the tiniest fish in the biggest pond. The most rewarding aspect of founding a CHAARG Chapter was that it quickly became so much more than the community that *I* needed, but one that SO many girls on campus needed. At the end of the day, all I wanted was for UMass CHAARG to be a place where *everybody feels like a somebody*, feels important + supported ++ there is no better feeling than seeing/hearing that girls are gaining that feeling from their membership in the Chapter.”

• Julia Shaughnessy, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Founding Ambassador, @jshaun_inCHAARG

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“Starting a CHAARG Chapter at CWRU has impacted me in countless ways, but the area I’ve grown most in is leadership. CHAARG has provided me with endless resources + training, but I’ve learned the most from observing all of the other leaders surrounding me. The Ambassadors leading Chapters around the country alongside me represent an incredibly diverse group of individuals + I’ve gained so much from watching them + talking to them. The mentors that I have found in CHAARG have also had an immense impact on me. They have believed in me during moments where I’m not quite sure I believed in myself, which means more than words can say. The CHAARG community is one that lifts you up + gives you the confidence to take on the world. That confidence reaches far beyond starting a CHAARG Chapter + is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

• Anna Goff, Case Western Reserve University Founding Ambassador, @anna_in.chaarg

“Starting a CHAARG Chapter impacted me in so many ways. It gave me the confidence to lead [beyond CHAARG!], helped me practice empathy through working with a small team + empowered me to respectfully speak up for myself. It helped me learn + understand that I really love working with people + helping them understand how important + valuable they are.”

• Alyssa Pike, Penn State University Founding Ambassador, @gratefully_nourished

“Starting a Chapter forces you to come out of your shell — it matures you socially + professionally. Through having official meetings with the university + the Rec Center to meeting random girls on campus, I learned how to talk to people in a professional, yet fun tone.”

• Sydney Beverly, Texas A&M University Founding Ambassador, @sydbev_inCHAARG

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The most rewarding aspect of starting a CHAARG Chapter was being able to leave a legacy on campus after I graduated. To know that Marquette CHAARG is still *thriving* on campus makes me so happy.

“Due to my hard work + somewhat crazy idea, I am still helping impact other girls even though I am not actively involved with CHAARG on campus anymore [aside from me crashing random socials ; ) ]. To see it continue to grow each new semester, exec team, + membership base ++ be able to connect with the girls is truly unbeatable!”

• Courtney Kruggle, Marquette University Founding Ambassador, @courtk_inchaarg

“The most rewarding aspect of starting a CHAARG Chapter is knowing that I helped make campus a better place for college aged women. CHAARG does more than introduce workouts — CHAARG creates a support network of women than normalizes sharing highs, lows, physical wins + struggles, mental health wins + struggles, + so much more. My most proud moments were hearing incredible conversations that would not have been possible without CHAARG!”

• Jill Jernas, University of Central Florida Founding CHAARG Ambassador, @jill_inCHAARG

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“The friendships from this community are ever lasting. A lot of our members at the time I had never met before CHAARG + they took a leap of faith to join this new organization ++ I am BEYOND grateful that they did! These are also the friendships that helped build the foundation for Purdue CHAARG so to see it continue to thrive almost 6 years later is beautiful + I owe it all to the girls who trusted the team + stuck around for more.” 

• Emily Ganz, Purdue University Founding Ambassador, @ganzy_

“The most rewarding aspect of starting a CHAARG Chapter on Furman’s campus was the inspiring girls I got to meet. I have a pretty solid friend group + have gotten involved on campus via greek life, but I wouldn’t have ever gotten to meet some of the girls of all years, majors, + organizations if it weren’t for CHAARG! I always have a friendly face in the PAC, dining hall, + library because of CHAARG. When girls introduce me as their Small Group Leader to other friends/parents, I always feel like I’ve done something to positively impact at least one person.”

• Audrey Rotman, Furman University Founding Ambassador, @audj_inCHAARG

“It’s all about the members + community — planning for + interacting with so many amazing women week after week truly energized me + motivated me to pour back into the Chapter. “

• Sammi Frankenberg, Bowling Green State University Founding Ambassador, @samm_frann

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Ready to start a CHAARG Chapter? Email [email protected] + get started today!