Finding one’s purpose is a journey that can take a lifetime, but for the founder of Girls on the Run, it happened at age 32 during a run at sunset.

Molly Barker visited Shippensburg University on March 1, to share her story about the creation of Girls on the Run, a nonprofit that serves thousands of girls across the country. Now 55 years old, Barker has been a runner for most of her life, but during a particular run on July 7, 1993, the idea for a way to help young girls was born.

“In that moment I realized that for 32 years I had been letting someone else define ‘girl,’” Barker said in the packed Ceddia Union Building (CUB) multipurpose room.. Barker said one of her original goals was to help girls step outside of the “girl box” that society, the media and other influencers put around them.

Girls on the Run coaches teach third to eighth grade girls a 10-week curriculum on how to be healthy and live confidently. What seals it all together is running and exercise. At each meeting, the girls participate in lessons about self-confidence and talk about how to be kind to others. The strength they build while running prepares them for the end-of-season 5K run. Girls on the Run participants also create service projects for their local community.

“There are so many points at which I know this is what I’m supposed to do,” Barker said.

Before speaking to the larger crowd in the CUB, Barker held a small meet-and-greet with members of the SU's feminist club, FREE, and members of the women’s and gender studies minor. She told students about the beginning of Girls on the Run in Charlotte, North Carolina. When the organization was started there were people who supported her dream and even those who criticized it, Barker said.

“Every day I feel like I’m pushing up against something and I know that’s what I’m supposed to do in this world,” Barker said.

As a young girl growing up in the south, Barker felt what many adolescents feel — the need to conform, to fit in with the crowd. Girls on the Run is designed to empower girls and fill them with confidence, which is how running makes Barker feel.

Her love for running began with her mother, who used to run early in the morning so nobody would see her. One day, she invited her 14-year-old daughter to run with her, and Barker loved the experience. Running set her free.

After Barker retired from Girls on the Run, she spent some time in Washington, D.C., where she worked on a commission that examined the “mean” way elected leaders interact with each other. Her time on Capitol Hill inspired her to start a new program, Run to Lead. Barker recruited congressional leaders and children from their districts to train together and compete in a 5K.

After much time and effort, Barker’s new dream fell through, which ignited another self-driven journey — literally. Barker travelled from North Carolina to California in her Mustang convertible, asking strangers about their thoughts on the polarized American political system.

Rejuvenated from her findings, Barker found herself at the helm of another organization aimed at helping people. The Red Boot Coalition is Barker’s latest vision, which works to create places where people feel safe, connected and loved, according to redbootcoalition.org. Red Boot Guides hold discussion meetings with people to talk about why they matter and how they can make other people know that they matter.

Taking from this theme, Barker asked the crowd in the CUB why they matter. One student stood up immediately to answer the question, sharing her desire to work with children as a therapist and help them understand why they matter.

“I feel like I had to be confident to a certain degree to be able to do that,” junior Jaime Bouder said after her speech. “There’s a message I want to bring forward.”

Once Bouder sat down, the desire to answer Barker’s question spread across the room like wildfire. Some students shot right up from their seats, while others tentatively raised their hands. Their answers resonated throughout the crowd, eliciting more responses:

“I matter because I’m not scared to fight for what I believe in.”

“I matter because I know intelligence is not how much you know, but how much you’re willing to learn.”

“I matter because I am bound and determined to bridge the gap between Christianity and feminism, because I think they go along together, and not many people do.”

“I matter because I don’t believe in labels or social expectations.”

As more volunteers stood up, Barker walked about the room, applauding their efforts and encouraging more people to speak up. Barker created this platform for discussion, proving to the world why she matters. She was invited to SU on behalf of the Women’s Center and the women’s and gender studies minor as a guest speaker for Women’s History Month.

During the event, members of the SU community were presented with the Gero Award, which recognizes people who seek to improve the status and condition of women on campus. Linda Chalk of the Counseling Center, Lackhove Hall residence director Keeyana Talley and campus police officer Julie Clark each received the Gero Award..

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