In Ashley's powerful talk she explains the need for more diversity in today's media. She discusses the impact the media has on young girls in particular and what we can do as a society to change the way media portrays women. Join Ashley in her quest!

Ashley Olafsen a Hopkinton High School Senior who is passionate about self esteem, body image, media representation, mental health, and the things that are holding back teenagers from reaching their full potential. She has created and delivered over a dozen self confidence workshops to girls all over Massachusetts. She draws on her own personal experiences to make the most impact possible, and also includes videos and small group discussions in her workshops. Furthermore, she was a speaker at the 2014 MASSCue Conference in Foxboro, MA and a speaker at the 2015 CoSN International Symposium in Atlanta, GA. She has spent two years working on a book, and is hoping to move onto the publishing stage within a few months. Currently, she is busy creating a five day summer program for middle and high school girls that will be fun, engaging, and empowering. She is looking forward to devoting her life to social causes, and will be creating her own major at UMASS Amherst in the fall.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx