Dah is already building a career centered on helping others. A junior at the University of Colorado Denver, she’s studying human biology, working as a patient care assistant at UCHealth, and recently earned her EMT certification. But her path toward a career in medicine began long before college, shaped by the responsibilities, experiences, and support systems that have brought her here. 

Dah spent the first six years of her life in a refugee camp in the mountains of Thailand before moving with her family to San Diego, then eventually Denver and Aurora. She’s been working various jobs since she was 14 to help support her family – from a coaching assistant to a barista and home caregiver. As a child of immigrant parents, Dah sometimes feels like she had to grow up too fast – but the independence that came along with it has also brought her some amazing opportunities.  

She discovered Girls Inc. during her sophomore year of high school, just as her world was soon to become dominated by college choices and financial decisions. Girls Inc. provided her with the resources that she needed to navigate this new terrain, from what schools to apply to and how to fill out a FASFA form.  

“Girls Inc. is the support system that I hope everybody has when they’re growing up,” says Dah.  

One of Dah’s favorite Girls Inc. experiences was participating in Bold Business, where she interned with the local nonprofit We Don’t Waste, which distributes discarded food from grocery stores and restaurants to communities in need. While the internship itself was highly rewarding, the community she became a part of at Girls Inc. was unforgettable. 

“Being around other girls like me is also very inspiring,” says Dah. “Knowing that we come from very similar backgrounds and we’ve made it this far, it shows if you know that some of us can make it then all of us can make it.” 

At CU Denver, Dah has found a community of other first-generation students, many of whom didn’t have the same experiences she did at Girls Inc. But she loves the opportunity to become the mentor to them that she’s found at Girls Inc. and share everything she’s learned along the way. 

“Everybody needs somebody like Girls Inc.,” Dah says. And as she faces new challenges in college, she knows she can always turn to Girls Inc. for a familiar face, answers to difficult questions, or simply a source of support when she needs it. 

 Although her academic focus is medicine, Dah has a wide range of interests. She loves to read, crochet, try new restaurants and cafes with friends, and has a particular interest in fashion and how it’s used as a form of self-expression. 

After almost five years of being a part of Girls Inc., Dah has seen firsthand the impact of its college and career readiness programs and the lifelong mentors she’s gained along the way. She sees Girls Inc. as “essentially investing in society,” recognizing that the impact women make on their surrounding communities is necessary for societal growth and success.