Girls Inc. is equipping girls to be leaders: they are critical thinkers and problem solvers in an increasingly diverse world where collaboration and compassion are vital to the positive change we seek. For nearly 160 years, we have advocated for equitable access and opportunity, including educational attainment, so that those we serve can know their strength, use their voices, and realize their goals, all while eliminating barriers along the way.

It’s why today’s decision by the Supreme Court of the United States struck a chord with so many in our community. The majority of Girls Inc. participants will seek college admission. These young women are well aware that less-diverse educational environments and inequitable access to educational attainment would surely resonate beyond college, through the workforce and their career trajectories, with repercussions for the success of the nation and beyond.

While the High Court’s decision today was to strike down affirmative action programs, Girls Inc.’s mission has not changed. If anything, the principles and values we hold dear and which motivate our work are as true and relevant today as they were when we first opened our doors: we will always stand for more diversity, not less; we will always fight for more opportunities, not fewer; we will always champion the right of girls to have access to educational excellence because that is what they deserve; and, we will always celebrate our girls for using their voices to make change for good—at home, at school, at work and in their communities.

It is my hope that because of this collective work, inclusion and equity will someday be the unquestioned foundation of our educational system, meaning no case like this one need ever again come before the Supreme Court.