Who Runs the World?

There has never been a time where being a teenager or young adult has been easy. Even in 2025, the literal and metaphorical growing pains of teenagedom continue to weigh on the shoulders of young women trying to find their way in the world. Natalie Maniscalco and Irene Zervoudis, co-founders of an organization called Wonder Girls, are working to help carve out a space for young women to grow their minds, their hearts, and their confidence with a network of supportive women cheering them on every step of the way. 

Every month, the members of Wonder Girls engage in workshops that focus on personal or professional development. Alongside each workshop is a community service project, intended to give the members hands-on experience.

Some of these workshops have included making bracelets for domestic abuse and trafficking survivors, wrapping donated toys to gift to the less fortunate around the holidays, creating emergency period kits, donating food to food banks and more.

At this Ramapo Highschool Wonder Girls meeting, public speaker Aaliyah Booker spoke with the girls about how their differences are their greatest strength. Booker has Goldenhar syndrome, a rare congenital condition that causes, in Booker’s case, the facial structure to be underdeveloped. Booker works to bring awareness to facial differences, emphasizing that information is the greatest inoculation against bullying.

Booker spoke of growing up with a facial difference, one that caused her to undergo 26 surgeries, years of therapy and rehab, and her own mental and social struggles before getting to where she is at today. “Not everyone can say they are proud to be authentically and unapologetically themselves… I love to especially share with young women that your uniqueness is what makes you, you, and it leads you to greater things in life.”

Even though Booker stood tall in front of us and confident with a broad smile and glittery gold eyeshadow, she spoke of growing up feeling shy and uncomfortable with her unique features. She was placed into Special Education as an young student even while reading at a college level because of her quiet demeanor and the lack of willingness from adults to try and get to know Booker past her facial difference. Continuing through to her college years, Booker recalled creating negative scenarios in her head, scenarios that affected her ability to connect with others. 

Through her story, she encouraged the girls to find their unique aspects and stand confidently in their authenticity no matter what. She’s a woman of her word – when her doctor suggested a 27th surgery to make Booker’s face more symmetrical, she declined. “I said, ‘Why are we doing all that when I’m advocating on my difference, loving myself, acceptance?’” 

As a young mentor, Booker was able to connect with the girls over topics such as social media consumption, the traps of comparison, fashion and more. When asked what she would like to share with her teenage self, Booker answered “I would say, ‘You matter, you are enough and everything’s going to be ok. Trust the process and be hopeful.”

The students were also able to connect with Booker over the book-turned-film “Wonder”, which follows a young boy Auggie with a facial difference as he navigates school and life. All of the students created bookmarks for the copies of Wonder that would be given to children at hospitals. The girls would also be receiving their own copies of the books from the Children’s Craniofacial Association, and association Booker works with frequently. . 

One student shared that she felt Wonder Girls was important for her growth because of workshops like these, and it teaches the girls “real life skills” such as public speaking and career exploration. Wonder Girls goes one step further by providing them with opportunities to put those skills to work. 

Another student highlighted the strong support system she has gained since joining Wonder Girls. “[Wonder Girls] gives you good advice. I feel like you can come to people with your problems… So if we have a problem at home, we could just come talk to you guys.” 

Ramapo Highschool advisor Kristin Einwohner says that she has seen firsthand the impact of Wonder Girls at Ramapo. She described how the Wonder Girls places the girls directly into the community, helping them build those neccesary community ties that the students might not have been able to create on their own. “It also really helps to teach them about confidence building and empowerment, and helping them to feel good about themselves and good about what they do,” said Einwohner. 

Einwohner and co-founders Maniscalco and Zervoudis had their own girl gang before expanding and creating Wonder Girls. Maniscalco and Zervoudis met eight years ago, becoming fast friends at a work out class, and Einwohner was Maniscalco’s Maid of Honor at her wedding. “We’re all so unique and different… but at the core, we all believe in what we’re doing and believe in the importance of helping our girls create that foundation of confidence,” says Maniscalco. 

What started as an idea between friends has turned into a 501c3 non-profit organization, implemented in seven Rockland schools and 20 schools in total. They’ve given out $50,000 in scholarships and have over 30 partnerships with other nonprofit organizations and local law enforcement, as well as the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security. There are over 200 women involved in the network of Wonder Girls, and their numbers are only growing. 

Over the summer, Wonder Girls is looking forward to starting a PR media cohort and training a small group of girls in media marketing tasks like graphic design, journalism, and the media industry. Maniscalco, who transitioned from a teaching job to a job in public relations and media, looks forward to continuing to engage with local nonprofits and building bonds with the community. 

Those who would like to be a part of the Wonder Girls can do so by going on their website and going to wondergirlsusa.org/get-involved. Keep your eyes peeled – Maniscalco has goals of printing more books, expanding across the U.S., and one day making it to the White House. If there’s one thing we know for sure – where there’s a woman, there’s a way!