People Behind BIO | Jenna Gilbertson Steiner
Jenna Gilbertson Steiner
BIO Girls Board of Directors, Chair
This week on our People Behind BIO blog series, meet Jenna Gilbertson Steiner! Jenna is originally from the Detroit Lakes, MN area and considers herself a Minnesota Girl for life. She currently lives in Fargo with her husband Terry and their precious baby boy, Harrison. She is the office manager and optician at McCulley Optix Gallery, and Vision Therapist with McCulley Vision Therapy.
What is your connection to BIO Girls?
I am the Chair of the Board of Directors, I have also previously been a mentor at the Dilworth site.
How long have you been involved with BIO Girls?
I’ve been on the board since its formation in 2017.
What drew you to become involved with BIO Girls?
I became familiar with BIO Girls in 2016 when my office gave away a large donation to BIO Girls for our 10th anniversary. I became connected with the organization because I ran our office’s social media. I saw online that Missy was looking for board members, and I reached out! I told Missy about my background in youth and family ministries (I can write a devotional in my sleep) and how I was looking for an organization to get involved with.
The BIO Girls mission is "to improve the self-esteem of adolescent girls through empowerment of self and service to others." How do you resonate with the mission?
Girls can run the freaking world! We have to be able to give them those tools because so often outside forces beat us down. Part of that is how we as women are, but I know that girls can run the world: they’re creative problem solvers, they're resilient, and they’re empathetic. All of these traits we need in really strong leaders, we just have to give them the opportunity.
We also have to get people behind them… and one of the things I love about BIO Girls is that we get people behind the girls that aren't just their parents, they are concerned community members and role models. We get people behind our BIO Girls participants that say, "Yes you CAN do this, you ARE strong, and you CAN do all these things." …and I absolutely love that.
Do you have an impact story from your involvement with BIO Girls?
For me, it’s just hearing stories from other people involved in BIO Girls. When people hear I am involved, so many say, "Oh my gosh I have to tell you about this..." There was a girl at the Dilworth site last year and I had worked with her dad like ten years ago. She was one of those girls that I couldn't tell if she was enjoying herself. Her dad came in for the last session and said, "She is so jazzed about this and she can't wait to do it again next year." That might seem like a small impact but in the end, those small impacts add up.
What is your favorite part of being on the BIO Girls board?
When we were first starting the board our goal was to have 15 sites the next year and that was just three years ago (now we have 52!). I have seen God work in incredible ways through this board. I told Missy Heilman just the other day, "God has put people in your path to take with you on this ride, just the perfect people show up at the perfect time." I love how every time we lay down an expectation for this organization it has been exceeded, its exciting to see the growth and movement that this has become.
Name one-way BIO Girls has impacted you personally.
BIO Girls has given me this great opportunity to serve in my community, get to know the people and to find out what kind of impact I can have. To have the chance to talk about women and girls and what they are capable of… and how important that is.
If you could go back in time, what year would it be and why?
I always say that I should have been a child of the ‘60s. I am a little bit of a hippie at heart. The whole idea of fighting for what you believe in, and I think we're getting a resurgence of that energy right now.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I'm a knitter. I knit a hat and booties for my son to wear before he was born. I was so excited for him to wear them home from the hospital, but he was so tiny he couldn't wear them until he was three months old!
Thank you, Jenna, for all that you do for BIO Girls. Your leadership, knowledge and passion are unmatched!