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Community Corner

SHARE Puts Ridge Graduate in the Spotlight

Shannon McNamara is recognized by Hasbro and Michelle Obama for her exceptional volunteer efforts to bring thousands of books to girls in Africa.

Recent Ridge High School graduate Shannon McNamara had a lot to celebrate during her senior year. On top of getting accepted to Rice University and graduating last Wednesday, McNamara’s after-school literacy program, aptly named SHARE (for SHannon’s After-school Reading Exchange), has brought her continuing positive attention for her program to bring learning to girls in Africa.

Most recently, McNamara received the generationON Hasbro Community Action Hero Award for her work with SHARE in Tanzania. The extremely selective award is given only six young people nationwide, recognizing young leaders who help in an effort to inspire teens to volunteer.

At the awards ceremony, held in New York City last month, McNamara met notable people such as Sigourney Weaver, Mayor Cory Booker, and Spike Lee.

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“There were so many influential people that I was able to meet,” McNamara said of the reception event, “It was a big honor.”

McNamara also contributes as a teen advisor for GirlUp, a campaign established by the United Nations, which works to empower girls all over the world. Through the GirlUp campaign, McNamara was selected to speak at The White House about her efforts through SHARE and witnessing impoverished girls in Africa. There, she met First Lady Michelle Obama. 

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“Being able to address a bunch of influential people was an unreal moment,” McNamara recalled of the event, that was held in March. “Meeting Michelle Obama was surreal. I’m never going to forget that.” 

There are links to videos of McNamara's speech at the event, as well as links to the speech by Obama on the home page of the Bernards Township school website.

McNamara’s main program, SHARE, was founded in 2008 when her family travelled to Tanzania that summer. McNamara was moved by the poverty and the gender inequality she witnessed there.

“It was the poorest of any poor I’ve ever seen,” McNamara said. 

The culture in this area encourages boys to study, while girls are left doing household chores, growing up to be illiterate, she observed.

She established SHARE, an after-school, girls-only program that empowers girls to gain a sense of intellectual curiosity and love for reading by teaching the young women English language reading, writing, and speaking. Additionally, SHARE has established four school libraries in African villages that are utilized by thousands of students, boys and girls alike. SHARE has collected around 33,000 books and school supplies within the United States — with many donations from Basking Ridge — that are passed along for use by students in Tanzania, she said.

SHARE also attracted many honors for McNamara, including a 2010 resolution from the New Jersey state legislature. 

Along with spearheading the fundraising, awareness, and donation efforts in the United States, McNamara continues to go to Africa every summer to help out the program onsite.

“Every time I go to Africa, it reminds [me of] the potential to make a difference. These girls deserve these opportunities,” McNamara said.

When attending Rice University in Houston, Texas, McNamara hopes to start a chapter of SHARE on campus and then to study abroad in Tanzania. Although undecided on her major, McNamara is considering concentrations in sociology or philosophy.

McNamara will still attend speaking engagements and continue to volunteer with SHARE. However, SHARE’s hard work will still be primarily based in New Jersey, she said.

“I will not be as involved [in SHARE], as I will be focused on my academics,” McNamara said.

McNamara encourages everyone to volunteer and understands that sometimes it is sometimes unclear where to start.

“Just go out and do something. You have no idea how your actions can make a difference,” McNamara said. 

For more information about SHARE and McNamara’s work, visit SHARE online or on Facebook

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