Marissa Escajeda is on the forefront of empowering young women to develop their skills and become leaders in their community. Escajeda serves as the CEO of Girls Inc. of Greater Pittsburgh, the longest-running girls’ leadership program. Escajeda reflects, “My commitment to service deepened during my time at Duquesne University, where I began studying international affairs, human rights, and the systemic injustices affecting communities around the world. The more I learned, the more determined I became to be part of the solution, to contribute to a more just and equitable world. That’s why leading Girls Inc. of Greater Pittsburgh is so meaningful to me. Every day, we get to show girls what’s possible. We help them see their potential, recognize what they deserve, and step into their power. We’re building the next generation of women leaders in Pittsburgh, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of that work.”
In her role, Escajeda supervises all operations, spearheads fundraising, and is at the helm of driving the mission of the organization forward. She explains, “I supervise our full team — programs, operations, communications, development, and finance — and much of my work is focused on expansion and fundraising. I spend a significant amount of time building relationships with stakeholders and partners across the community, managing our budget and operations, and working closely with our Board of Directors. A large part of my day-to-day is dedicated to fundraising — meeting new donors, cultivating current supporters, and securing the resources we need to deliver our programs. I’m also working closely with our program team on expansion as we launch new middle and high school programs and summer camp. We currently serve 500–600 girls each semester across 40+ school and community sites, and partner with seven universities and more than 250 college women as mentors.”
After graduating from Baldwin High School in 2007, Escajeda earned her Bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University; her Master’s degree in Ethics, Peace and Global Affairs from American University; and a Master Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
Escajeda’s path to success and impact has not been linear. She recalls, “To be honest, the end of high school was difficult for me. I became pregnant my junior year, and that shifted my entire high school experience. I wish I could point to a single profound moment or mentor at Baldwin who changed everything for me, but the truth is more complicated. The one person who stands out is Mr. Deemer—he never changed the way he saw me, even as I navigated becoming a teen mom. That consistency meant more than he probably knew. What I can say with complete certainty is that I felt immense support from students and friends. Classmates I weren’t even particularly close to treated me with kindness, empathy, and a sense of empowerment. Their compassion during such a vulnerable time helped shape the person I became. Those experiences fuel the work I do today. I want to see girls thrive. I want more girls in leadership roles — regardless of the obstacles they face. We work in historically marginalized communities where girls may not have access to abundant resources or may be navigating adversity in one way or another. My goal is to ensure that our programs are a steady, unwavering source of support, helping girls understand who they are, what they’re capable of, and making sure nothing stands in the way of their potential.”
She encourages current students to be undeterred in their determination to build a thriving future. She shares, “Life doesn’t unfold in a neat, straight line. Plans shift, things change, and nothing goes exactly as expected. Clearly, for me, things didn't go as planned. But high school taught me how to handle that, how to face challenges, adapt quickly, and keep growing.” She notes that high school is an ideal time to boldly explore new experiences. Escajeda says, “Go for it. Try new activities. Talk to classmates you don’t normally hang out with. As the parent of a recent graduate, I know this advice might fall on deaf ears—but try to worry less about what people think of you and more about what makes you happy. The truth is, most people are too focused on their own lives to judge what you’re doing anyway. So take the chance. Do the thing. Go for it.”