Meet Monica Murphy and Meghan Roder, two Saint Mary's College students who launched the app "Beautiful You" on iTunes this month.
—Beautiful You Promotes Positive Body Image and Life Outlook— Newswise — November 13, 2012 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary’s College, a Catholic, liberal arts women’s college in Notre Dame, Indiana, is an academic setting where women develop their talents and prepare to make a difference in the world. Two students recently went high tech to make their impact. This month they launched a mobile application called Beautiful You to offer women daily affirmations and encouragement.
“The app allows users to tap into their potential as women and empower them to be brave, confident beacons of hope in a world where women’s bodies are painfully scrutinized,” said Monica Murphy ’13, a social work major from South Bend. (Click to see a video about Beautiful You.)
Last New Year’s Eve, Murphy and Meghan Roder ’15, a nursing major from Michigan City, Indiana came up with the app concept. They partnered with app developer Cory Rehs, an Indiana State University student, to bring it to life. The students hope the app will help women with their resolutions for 2013.
“We all struggle with some sort of challenge—whether it be professional, personal, physical, or emotional—and this can be a tool to use to help pick us up and give us the support and encouragement we need to face whatever we are facing with confidence and faith,” Roder said.
Available for the iPhone® and iPod touch®, Beautiful You speaks truth into women’s hearts, promotes a positive body image, and allows women to seek personal growth. Beautiful You, allows users to:
o Encourage a sense of self-worth through inspirational quotes, and thought-provoking words of hope and wisdom.
o Reflect on the true beauty in the heart and mind, by shifting the focus from dress size, to personal self-worth as a woman.
o Challenge the standards of “perfection” and “beauty” by reconstructing a healthy, positive outlook through interactive questions and daily challenges to activate inner confidence and promote positive change and leadership.
o Evaluate personal progress through an interactive self-esteem tracker, which allows users to reflect on exactly how much their self-esteem has improved each and every day.
o Contribute kind words of encouragement to other users through a social forum that fosters positive attitude and encouragement.
“As a social work major and a person of faith, I felt called to do a project that would speak truth, offer hope and impact females on a broader level. Beautiful You has encouragement, reflections and challenges to inspire females from all walks of life and backgrounds,” Murphy added.
The app is another example of how Saint Mary’s students are challenging female beauty stereotypes propagated in the media. Other examples are these student-led annual events:
o The one-day Bold Beauty Conference offers sessions that challenge societal standards of beauty. Students who have taken Female Beauty, a communication studies course, put on the event.
o Love Your Body Week also examines stereotypes about women’s bodies through daily speakers and activities. In 2011 student organizers shared the concept with other colleges and universities and it was named best program at the Indiana Residence Hall Organization Conference.
Beautiful You is available in the iTunes App Store for $0.99.
About Beautiful You: Beautiful You is an inspirational app for women seeking positive encouragement and motivation in their daily lives. The app allows users to channel their inner beauty and create confident self-body images through healthy reflection, thought-provoking challenges and a unique, supportive environment to vitalize women on their journey to personal growth. For more information, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3InlDd4ZQqQ
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” for 2013 published by U.S. News. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
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