UI graduate nominated for CNN award

A University of Idaho graduate involved in philanthropic work is among five people from around the world to receive a prestigious honor from CNN.

Payton McGriff, 30, is a finalist for the CNN Hero of the Year award, which recognizes people who find solutions to help communities around the world. The winner will receive $100,000 to continue their work.

According to McGriff, this work helps girls in Togo, Africa, gain education and employment through her nonprofit organization, Style Her Empowered (SHE).

A book McGriff read in 2017, when she was a senior at the UI, revealed how school uniforms had become a barrier for girls seeking education in developing countries.

Being able to afford a uniform “can make the difference in whether a girl goes to school or not,” she said.

“School uniforms are one of the biggest financial barriers to girls’ education, but providing school uniforms may be one of the most cost-effective ways to keep girls in school,” McGriff said during a visit to the UI campus Friday.

Inspired by an entrepreneurship class and Professor Romuald Afatchao of Togo, McGriff decided to turn down a job in marketing analytics and pursue nonprofits instead.

He participated in entrepreneurship competitions that provided seed money to launch SHE.