Girls inspired to aim higher

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

HAMBLEN

Shedding light on the many well-paying career choices available to women was the focus of An Income of Her Own, a workshop attended by 65 high school girls Monday at McMinnville County Club.

The workshop was the highlight of an ongoing high school female mentoring prograam designed to encourage girls to enter high-paying career fields and achieve economic self-sufficiency.

The day-long, interactive event featured an array of activities designed to empower the girls, by fostering in them a sense that the world of business is one in which they belong and can succeed.

“We want the girls to set goals for themselves and to ultimately be able to take care of themselves instead of depending on someone else or the government,” said workshop organizer and high school teacher Cappi Jones.

One highlight was an interview sessions the girls had with 12 local female entrepreneurs and professionals from a variety of fields, including health care, law, tourism, realty and pharmacy.

Asked why she was participating, dental hygienist Christina Himelwright said she wanted to do her part to help girls in the community. “It’s my hope I can make a little bit of a difference by helping to stretch the limits of what they think they can do and to encourage them to shoot for a higher standard,” Himelwright said.

Other highlights included playing the Hot Company Board Game, which had the girls learn the language of business, the economic history of women and basic business concepts.

They also participated in Product-in-a-Box, a team-based activity in which the girls worked to develop, market and present their own new products.

During the day’s luncheon, keynote speaker and former county executive Carol Hamblen reminded the girls they have a responsibility to carry on the fight for women’s equality that began years ago. She further encouraged them to always have the mental attitude of a winner, to set goals, and never fear failure.

Sophomore Sandra Madewell said she felt the workshop very beneficial.

“It’s helped us decide what we want to do by showing us the wide choices available to us. By seeing what others have done successfully it’s also served to encourage us and give us confidence,” she said.