Priya Mehta

From Participant to Program Director — Full Circle

26 years old · San Jose, California

Priya arrived at the HerVoice Leadership Camp as a shy 16-year-old who couldn’t make eye contact with strangers. “My parents signed me up because they didn’t know what else to do,” she laughs. “I was terrified.”

But the camp’s structure — small group challenges, public speaking workshops, and a supportive peer network — slowly transformed her. By the end of the two-week program, Priya had delivered a speech in front of 200 people.

She returned as a junior counselor, then a senior counselor, and eventually joined the staff full-time after completing her Master’s in Nonprofit Management. This year, she became the camp’s director.

“Full circle is the best circle. Every summer, I see a girl who reminds me of myself. I tell her: you belong here.”