Mandy Hjellming with a GlamourGals participant.

Cornell senior Mandy Hjellming spent her summer “creating smiles that span generations” with GlamourGals, a dynamic California nonprofit that brings teens and the elderly together through monthly facials and makeovers.

Hjellming, who eventually wants to run her own company, helped GlamourGals CEO Rachel Doyle ’05 with all aspects of the organization’s oversight. She learned the ins and outs of running a nonprofit, from writing content for the website and revising the business plan to developing new program materials and writing grants.

“My mother has told me since I was little that I won’t be able to work for someone [else] for long,” she said. “I like to do things my way.”

Doyle, a policy analysis and management graduate, founded GlamourGals as a high-school student as a way to foster intergenerational relationships. It now has 50 chapters in 14 states and boasts more than 1,000 young women volunteers who travel to senior and assisted living centers to give the residents makeovers.

Hjellming, an applied economics and management major, was thrilled to work directly with Doyle.

“Her passion, charisma, and work ethic inspire me,” she said. “Rachel taught me many things this summer about both the business world and life in general. She is a wonderful mentor, and her dedication and daily enthusiasm positively influenced my knowledge and skills.”

— Marissa Fessenden