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She’s the First – Cupcake Baker, World Changer

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Stephanie Beach
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NYU chapter.

She’s the First sponsors girls’ education in developing nations, giving them the chance to become the first in their families to graduate from secondary school.

Her Campus NYU chatted with Sarah Haueisen, who helmed NYU’s first tie-dye cupcake bake-off last year, and who is back at it again this year, and hoping to raise even more money for girls’ education.

HC NYU: What inspired you to start a She’s the First bake sale?
SH:  I heard about the bake sale through a different organization at NYU that ended up dropping out.  It seemed like such a great cause with a lot of follow through with the girls they help. I was really impressed with how committed to quality She’s the First is; its definitely not an organization that simply throws money at a cause.  They are there on the ground making sure these girls get the education they want and best suits their needs.

HC NYU: This is your second year – any new plans for the sale?
SH: We were able to start spreading the word much earlier, through social media and simply word of mouth. We are also selling cupcakes over a few days this year to hopefully reach more people! We’ll be in Lafayette Res Hall Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evening.
 
HC NYU: How many girls were you able to help sponsor from the profits last year? From what country? How did you decide on a country?
SH: We were able to sponsor eight girls from South Sudan.  South Sudan has one of the highest rates of gender inequality in the world, and education is the key to closing the gender gap. Girls there who want an education face very particular challenges, and I think its wonderful that we can do something to make their pursuit of learning a little bit easier.
 
HC NYU: How can other girls on campus help She’s the First?
SH: We are always looking for volunteers to help us out with the bake sale! I also really encourage girls to check out the website and to consider donating or sponsoring a girl.  We are all so lucky to receive the education that we do here with relatively few social impediments and its only right we extend that to girls in other countries who want the same thing.
 
HC NYU: What are you studying and do you see your work with STF impacting your career down the line?
SH: I am studying anthropology, and STF is something I would like to keep up with for the rest of my life. Studying anthropology has certainly made me more aware of what is means to be a citizen of the world, and as I have benefited so greatly from my education I want to ensure access to education for girls that want it. I hope to see the program expand to reach as many girls as possible. 
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Stephanie is in the class of 2014 at New York University studying Journalism and Dramatic Writing. She is currently a production intern at NBC News, after previously interning at ABC News. In addition to being the Campus Correspondent for Her Campus NYU, she is also an entertainment and lifestyle blogger for Seventeen Magazine and a contributing writer for USA TODAY and The Huffington Post, as well as a member of the MTV Insights team. Stephanie loves Broadway and performing in musical theatre, as well as shopping, singing, and playing the piano. Follow her NYC adventures on Twitter at @StephanieJBeach.