By Citlaly Franco, Business Editor
March, 2022
Many would argue that we live in a misogynistic society. Girls don’t have enough of a say or recognition of their successes, thus making it difficult for girls to find a safe space. At KIPP Austin Collegiate, English teachers Amy Welin and Bianca Blanco decided to start the Girls Empowerment Club in the 2019-2020 school year. Their mission is to create a safe environment where girls are able to push their boundaries, overcome challenges, and allow girls to become the best versions of themselves with confidence with the support of other girls going through similar journeys.
Members of the GEC are not just strictly girls at KAC. Instead, it is an all-inclusive club that opens their doors to anyone and everyone. The current officers include the President Amanda Martinez, Vice President Daniella Yanez, Treasurer Leylany Rodriguez, Secretary Zurisadai Villegas, and Media Manager Kimberlyn Lopez. Most of the higher positions are filled by upperclassmen, though the advisors now thinking about opening up those positions to all grade levels since most of the officers, many of whom were founding members, are currently seniors and leaving next year.
The year that the club started, 2020, was also the year the pandemic hit. Before people were forced to quarantine, meetings were in-person and they were held on Wednesdays during lunch and would consist of discussion about girls and their experiences and struggles with being a girl at KAC. The meetings consisted of 5-7 people on average, with mainly just the officers and a few other members.
Meetings would include discussions of possible solutions on how there can be more representation at school. When virtual meetings were hosted, it was more difficult to join and have those discussions because not everyone had access to connect to meetings or faced other factors due to the pandemic. During this time, Blanco, Welin, and the officers were trying to advertise the club more and get as many people involved as possible.
The Girls Empowerment Club has come up with traditions to keep members engaged even through the pandemic. Some traditions include their Galantines parties, hosting teacher panels, and watch parties for movies like Mulan. The teacher panel was one of the most popular events that they hosted while we were in virtual learning. It was a huge success! The first teacher panel was hosted via Google Meets and club members promoted this event heavily in order to get as many people as possible to join the day of the event. On the day of the panel, there were a good amount of newcomers that the club had never seen before. The panel included female teachers’ experiences inside and outside of the classroom and students could hear voices from Mrs. Santiago, Ms. Love, Dr. Lopez-Plaza, Mrs. Martin, Ms. Shaw, and Ms. Dillard, all staff of KAC. This was one of the club’s most successful events that surely helped open up many opportunities for the club.
According to members, the future for this club is very bright. Their mission to create a safe space at KAC is becoming more and more of a reality. Educating students on how to advocate for themselves as much as possible will truly bring more student leaders and empower female voices. The club is currently looking for new members to continue to go forth with their mission. So make sure to attend one of their meetings and be part of an amazing community.
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