Amalia is a 7th grade girl who looks and acts much older than she is. She was a Strong Girl in our program, and has since advanced to become a stellar Junior Mentor with our Junior Mentoring Program (JUMP).
JUMP is a program fairly new to Strong Women, Strong Girls – it was piloted in Boston during Fall 2015, and Amalia was among the original girls to be involved. Previously, girls who aged out of our program after completing 5th grade would no longer have the opportunity to be involved until they entered college and could become College Women mentors. The Junior Mentoring Program was introduced in order to fill this gap, and to provide the older girls with leadership opportunities and extended access to the SWSG community. Originally, there were 7 girls involved in the program. That number has since doubled, and is expected to see exponential growth next Fall and over the next few years.
Amalia and other girls participate in a workshop for Junior Mentors at Spring Training earlier this year.
Througout Amalia’s time with SWSG, her mother has been present and supportive of her every move. In honor of the upcoming Mother’s Day, Amalia told us how her relationship with her mom has been affected by her involvement with Strong Women, Strong Girls.
“I feel like we have gotten closer because there is always something for us to talk about after SWSG. And my mom gives me advice on how to handle certain situations. My mom is a great role model, which I always knew!”
Amalia and her mother, Angela at this year’s Jump Into Spring in Boston
Amalia’s mother, Angela, had some thoughts to share as well:
“Amalia has really blossomed during her time with SWSG, from Strong Girl to now Junior Mentor. I think the biggest impact that I have noticed is on our conversations. They are truly conversations. Not just an adult and a young person talking AT each other and not finding common ground, but give and take, sharing interesting ideas. Whether she is asking for advice or sharing an experience about SWSG or anything really, it is a joy to talk with her. She is confident and truly in her element in her role as a junior mentor, and this carries over into every other aspect of her life. I see her in a new light…not just as my baby, but as an amazing young woman, full of potential and more capable than I could ever imagine. I could not be more proud of the person she is becoming.”
We love to see this kind of involvement and support from our girls’ parents, and we especially love to see such strong relationships between girls and women of different generations – it’s what we’re all about at Strong Women, Strong Girls!
From all of us at SWSG, Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and mother-figures, and all the women in our communities and lives who empower us. Thank you for all you do.