With midterm elections just around the corner, a few select Diamond Bar High School girls were chosen  to attend the Girls Build LA Summit at USC’s Galen Center to hear from speakers on why they should vote.

The girls were selected by DBHS administration after they filled out a form expressing their interest. Because there were only about 45 slots available—exclusively for juniors and seniors—not everyone could go. Names were selected at random to fill the spots allotted  to the school.

This year’s keynote speaker was Shonda Rhimes, a television producer best known for “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” She urged  the girls to  fight for what they believe in and use their voices to influence change.

“I learned the importance of actually speaking up and not just posting about things online like most people do to protest or advocate, but to be an active member in my community in any beneficial way possible,” junior Ava Kremling said.

Other speakers included Delany Tarr and Kyrah Simon, survivors of the Parkland, Florida, school  shooting in February. Their speeches included encouragement for girls to become activists within their communities.

“My favorite part was hearing from the strong Parkland survivors tell their stories. It was really powerful to hear them speak out and empower us to all tell our story,” Kremling said.

A surprise guest at the event was pop singer Daya, who provided a mini concert for the audience.

This was the second year that  DBHS students had the opportunity to attend the summit.

Instructional dean Julie Galindo, who went  on the trip with the girls, was excited that so many students had this opportunity to hear from powerful leaders.

“This was a really great opportunity for our students, it’s really good for our young women to emerge as future leaders,” Galindo said.  

Junior Juhi Doshi, who attending both years, compared the summits.

“This summit was more focused on the importance of voting, and the one last year was focused on women empowerment. I felt that both messages were impactful and important to girls our age and I encourage other girls to sign up for these summits,” Doshi said.