Hear Ara's Story
“The most important thing in life is love because love lives in our heart and not on our skin.”
-Ara (short for Araoluwa) is originally from Lagos, Nigeria and is a 5th grader at Sankofa Academy, participating in our free After School Program in Oakland, CA.
What has soccer brought you and how old were you when you started playing?
Soccer brought me so much joy and I have also seen people having fun playing. I was 9 years old when I joined soccer.
What has soccer taught you about life?
Soccer has taught me to be brave and it makes me really happy.
Have you ever been or felt discriminated against on or off the soccer field because of your gender or race?
No, I have not been discriminated against before.
How has being part of Girls Leading Girls helped you?
Girls Leading Girls helped me by showing my skills and by making me feel great to be part of a team.
What do you think we need more of or less of right now in order to change the social injustices and racial inequality happening in the world?
The most important thing in life is love because love lives in our heart and not on our skin.
Ara had close to perfect attendance all Spring participating in our free virtual program, bringing her positive attitude and voice to every session inspiring us and her peers. Thank you Ara!