The achievement gap, particularly harsh for minority women in underserved urban and rural communities, is more than disconcerting to Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney corporate associate
Elisa Basnight – it's a matter of national security.
In the op-ed, "Through education comes nation's opportunity, security," published in the April 1, 2012 edition of the
Philadelphia Inquirer, Basnight opined that, for the sake of economic and national security, "we must ensure that America's minority girls are provided with the education they need to become political, scientific, national security, and business leaders of the 21st century."
Read the full op-ed here. After experiencing firsthand the dearth of girls interested in so-called STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – Basnight founded Girls Action Network (GAN), a non-profit focused on expanding the education and career opportunities for girls and women.
More on GAN's philosophy. "Education and empowerment cannot just be a slogan for one month of one year," Basnight writes. "It must be a commitment to ensure our country maximizes its potential and fulfills its promise to all Americans."