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"I lived the first 15 years of our life without any reflection. No questioning about who am I? What do I want? That is my fight in life right now. Not just for myself but for every single girl out there. You cannot take a girl\\u2019s voice away. \\xa0You cannot take a girl\\u2019s education away. And I will fight for that."

Meet \\u201cthe original\\u201d Houry! At 56, she brings unstoppable positive energy to \\xa0advocacy for the rights of women and girls worldwide. Her journey of joy and discovery began in the 1970s when she left her Armenian community in Lebanon with her new husband, arrived in New York City and quickly transitioned to a life of disco at Studio 54 and building a posh hair salon business that catered to glitterati from Madonna to Jennifer Grey. More than thirty years later \\u2013 with three sons and a successful business \\u2013 Houry realized that in the rush to do it all she hadn\\u2019t taken the time to reflect or, as she said, \\u201cfeel the sand between her toes.\\u201d And she\\u2019d been too busy to get the education she\\u2019d longed for all her life. \\xa0A therapist, a divorce, a job search, and night school led Houry to fulfill lifelong dreams: becoming a woman who has a voice, a college degree, and who has no problem feeling things, being present, and saying whatever she wants. Or, as we call it, a Being in Total Charge of Herself!