Giovanna Basso, 19 – FUNDED

Although she isn’t quite sure what she wants to do in future (and that’s okay!), Giovanna Basso is heading in the right direction at Minerva Schools at KGI, where she will study government and business. The 1,000 Dreams Fund Scholarship recipient also has big plans to create a global campaign that celebrates girl power.

What is your professional dream?

I want to work in diplomacy, literature, and gender justice.

How will you use the 1,000 Dreams Scholarship?

As I travel the world, I plan on using the scholarship to launch a global campaign called “A Girl A Story” to showcase the importance of believing in girls. I will document their dreams and passions and then launch them in a book and YouTube channel.

How is this scholarship helping you get closer to your dream?

I want to grow as a woman and as a leader, and there is no better way to do that than by incorporating a mosaic of all the best stories and qualities of the girls and women who I meet in my journey. I want to embody these qualities to make up who I already am.

What advice do you have for other young women who are wanting to pursue their dreams?

Go crazy. Be obsessed and obsessive. Give 150% of who you are in everything that you do so that the world will be, at least, 1% more like you.

​Have you had any setbacks? How did you move past them?

Most of my setbacks derived from insecurities and fears… There is no way to move past them, but only to embody them. Instead of seeing fear as a negative emotion, I am learning how to channel it into something positive, like a book.

What’s next for you? What is your next goal?

As I settle in a different country, I plan to explore every corner of the U.S. and learn more about feminist philanthropy. What happens if we give money to girls? I would like to know the answer!