CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and former United Nations (U.N.) Ambassador Nikki Haley yesterday hosted an event at the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council to promote female empowerment, education, fitness, and self-confidence.

Kindergarten through fifth grade Girl Scouts participated in Senator Capito’s Girls Rise Up program, where they had the chance to hear from Senator Capito and Ambassador Haley on their personal experiences as female leaders and public servants. Yesterday’s event marks the second Girls Rise Up in Kanawha County and the 20th event since the program’s launch in 2015.

“Inspiring the next generation of West Virginians—especially our young women—is very important to me, and I know it is important to Ambassador Haley as well,” Senator Capito said. “I was thrilled to join together with a female trailblazer like Ambassador Haley to share the Girls Rise Up message with these young scouts and inspire the next generation yesterday in Charleston. They are truly the leaders of tomorrow, and I can’t wait to see all of the wonderful things they accomplish in the years to come.”

“As a former Girl Scout and a female leader myself, I was glad to join Senator Capito yesterday to help inspire the next generation of young women,” said former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. “We want young women like the Girl Scouts to know that if they push through the fear, they’ll end up so much stronger on the other side. Strong girls turn into strong women, and programs like Senator Capito’s Girls Rise Up program will help instill these important values and set these young girls up for a successful future.”

“Having Senator Capito and Nikki Haley at our Girl Scout and Volunteer Resource Center was an amazing experience for our Girl Scouts,” said Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council Chief Executive Officer Beth Casey. “Our mission is to build girls of courage, character, and confidence to make the world a better place so they can become leaders in their everyday lives. I hope that our girls were inspired by the leadership stories of these Girl Scout alumnae and take action to make their own dreams come true.”

Senator Capito launched the West Virginia Girls Rise Up program in 2015 to instill confidence in young West Virginia women and empower them to be strong and kind female leaders. The program focuses on three areas: education, fitness, and self-confidence.