Rachel Simmons
The Cofounder of National Nonprofit, Girls Leadership and Leadership Development Specialist at the Wurtele Center for Leadership at Smith College
Enough As She Is: How to Help Girls Move Beyond Impossible Standards of Success to Live Healthy, Happy, and Fulfilling Lives
For many girls today, the drive to achieve is fueled by brutal self- criticism and an acute fear of failure. Though young women have never been more “successful” – outpacing boys in GPAs and college enrollment – they have also never struggled more. On the surface, girls may seem exceptional, but in reality, they are anxious and overwhelmed, feeling that, no matter how hard they try, they will never be smart enough, successful enough, pretty enough, thin enough, popular enough, or sexy enough.
Rachel Simmons has been researching young women for two decades, and her research plainly shows that girl competence does not equal girl confidence – nor does it equal happiness, resilience, or self-worth. Ms. Simmons warns that we have raised a generation of young women so focused on achieving that they avoid healthy risks, overthink setbacks, and suffer from imposter syndrome, believing they are frauds. In her latest book, Enough as She Is, she argues that young women can do more than just survive adolescence – they can thrive.
Event Sponsors
- Baker Demonstration School
- Chiaravalle Montessori School
- Chicago Waldorf School
- Counseling Center of the North Shore
- Countryside Montessori School
- Erika’s Lighthouse
- Family Service Center
- Family Service of Glencoe
- Glencoe D35
- Haven Youth and Family Services
- The Joseph Sears School
- New Trier Parents’ Association
- Regina Dominican College Preparatory High School
- Wolcott College Prep

Upcoming Events
Robin Hood Math: Take Control of the Algorithms That Run Your Life
Noah Giansiracusa, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Mathematics at Bentley University
Karen Saxe, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Government Relations, American Mathematical Society
ON ZOOM
Validation: Transform Your Relationships, Increase Your Influence, and Change Your Life
Caroline Fleck, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist, Author, and Corporate Consultant
Kelly Leonard
Vice President, Creative Strategy, Innovation, and Business Development at The Second City
ON ZOOM
FAN Roundtable Workshop: Dealing with Feeling (Event 1 of 4)
Marc Brackett, Ph.D.
Founding director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, and professor, Child Study Center, Yale University
Glenview Public Library Community Room
Note: Event start time is Central Time (CT).