Dear GOTR Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing I will be leaving my role as Program Manager for Girls on the Run Memphis this summer. Earlier this month, I was accepted into the MFA Dramaturgy & Dramatic Criticism course of study at Yale University. It is a program I’ve admired in the abstract for a long time, so for it to become a reality is truly surreal. My class will begin in the Fall of 2026, and I will need to move to New Haven by the beginning of August.

While this opportunity is amazing, it is ultimately bittersweet. The time I have spent with GOTR Memphis has changed me irrevocably for the better. Getting to work with and know the entire GOTR community over the last two years has empowered me in my own self-confidence and enabled me to learn more about and explore this second home of mine. Throughout my tenure here, we’ve been able to onboard new sites like Perea and Brewster, as well as bring back old friends like St. Mary’s. We’ve begun our very first Camp GOTR to keep our programming alive throughout summer break. We exceeded over 200 program participants in a season and had an overall 5K attendance of greater than 800. These are all things that bring me so much joy to think about, even as I face leaving this city and organization that have meant so much to me.

To our coaches, who volunteer their time out of the goodness of their hearts and their desire to inspire the next generation, thank you for sharing your energy with me. You made my job infinitely easier by the nature of your preparedness, passion, and care.

To our community partners, thank you for the generosity that has enabled GOTR to thrive in the 901. Through your sponsorships, 5K activity stations, coach gift cards, and other donations, you proved that Memphis is a city that looks out for its own.

To Joanna, thank you for being more than an Executive Director. You’ve been a mentor, role model, and cheerleader for me far beyond any job description. It has been an honor to work with you…and Coach Cookie, of course.

Finally, to our GOTR girls, I want you to know a few things:

• Just because I am leaving does not mean that I feel any less passionately about the truth of the lessons our curriculum teaches you. You have the power to move mountains. You are strong enough to share what’s in your heart, and please know that your feelings are always important. 

• Girls on the Run thrived before me and will continue to thrive after. This program will always be a safe space for you to explore your limitless potential and make friends without fear of competition.

• Change can be scary! I’m definitely a little scared of what’s coming next for me, simply because I don’t know exactly what to expect. My plan is to follow the example your coaches set for you every practice–move forward with compassion for yourself and the knowledge that no matter what comes, you have the star power necessary to face it. We tell you to be brave every lesson, so that is what I am going to be too.

My time at GOTR Memphis may come to an end this summer, but I feel confident in this organization that I have been blessed to impact in my own small ways. I will never be a stranger, and I will always be one of Girls on the Run’s biggest champions.

With love for an organization that is truly one of a kind,

Smiley Savannah