Becoming a Purposeful Presence for Girls
Meet Jordan Beckley
BIO Girls Volunteer Site Director in Fessenden, North Dakota
Purposeful Presence for Girls
Jordan works as a prevention coordinator for a local public health unit in rural North Dakota. She’s married, a dog mom, a volunteer with her local ambulance, and she substitute teaches. Before BIO Girls, she led a similar girls' youth program, and to Jordan, it never quite got at the core issues our girls were facing. When Jordan heard about BIO Girls, she admits that the only thing holding her back was the running. However, after she jumped on an initial call to learn more, she felt the push to do it anyway. Now five years later, Jordan continues to be a strong advocate for BIO Girls both in her community and beyond.
You Don’t Need a Daughter In the Program to Belong Here
“A lot of the moms who lead BIO Girls programs have daughters in the program. I don't have kids, and for a while I wondered if that meant this wasn't really my place. But it is. I don't feel called to have children of my own, but I do feel called to make a difference with youth and to be the kind of person I wish I'd had growing up. Even without being a mom myself, I think the girls see me as something like an older sister, or the cool aunt. That relationship matters just as much.”
My Day Job and BIO Girls Are Connected
“As a prevention coordinator, I'm already in the schools constantly, helping kids figure out their values, their goals, and how to recognize high-risk behaviors before they become real problems. A lot of that overlaps directly with what BIO Girls covers: who they are, who they want to be, what matters to them and their families, what they look for in their friendships.
I rely heavily on Youth Risk Behavior Survey data in my public health work to spot trends like bullying, disordered eating, substance use risk, mental health, and self-esteem. That data drives where I focus my prevention efforts. BIO Girls leans on that same data to shape its mission. The partnership just makes sense. My two roles aren't separate; they feed each other.”
What Filling This Role Gives Back to Me
“I'm not these girls' parent, but I still feel like I matter in their lives in a real way. My sixth graders were the very first girls to sign up when we opened registration, back when I was terrified no one would show. They and their parents were the ones who carried me through that nervousness. Now I get to watch them grow up! I go to their basketball games, their volleyball games and for twelve weeks at a time, I get to be part of their world. They don't always know what we're going to talk about or how far we're going to run on a given day, but they show up excited anyway. That keeps me showing up too. They're just as important to me as I might be to them.”
What Our Community Would Lose Without This Program
“I'd lose the chance to connect with kids on a deeper level and really understand how the next generation is doing. In rural North Dakota, a lot of kids fall into one of two categories: you're a sports kid, or you're not. I brought this program here for the kid who isn't in sports, and whose family maybe isn't involved in organized religion either, so there's no Wednesday night class or Sunday morning group for them. I wanted this to be a place where a kid can belong and this can be their thing, their badge of honor. Without it, that would be a real deficit for our kids and our community.
Since we started, three other nearby towns have brought BIO Girls to their own communities, one just seventeen miles away. I never thought something like this could take root in our tiny town. I thought it only existed in Fargo and beyond. It's a bigger deal for us than people might realize.”
Want to get involved like Jordan?
Maybe you’re not so sure of the running piece like Jordan was or maybe you feel called to make a difference in the lives of youth in your community. Either way, we’d love to connect with you and see how you can get involved with the mission at BIO Girls.