- The event gave 6th-grade girls a hands-on experience to explore careers in diverse fields like healthcare, technology, and the arts.
- Volunteers shared their experiences and encouraged the girls to dream big, emphasizing the importance of representation in career exploration.
- Watch the video to see what the girls learned.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Over 50 young girls from Gadsden County and across the Big Bend gathered at the Leroy Collins Main Public Library Monday for the 'Girls Out Loud' Career Exploration event. The event, hosted by the nonprofit Citizens for a Sustainable Future, offered 6th-grade girls the opportunity to explore diverse career paths, from healthcare and technology to the arts.
This event also highlighted the importance of celebrating Women’s History Month by providing the girls with direct access to women leaders who are making their mark in their respective fields. Dr. Margelet Hamilton, a volunteer at the event, emphasized the importance of giving young girls a chance to meet these role models.
“We’re trying to increase the voices of our young ladies, to let them know that there are things out there for them,” said Dr. Hamilton.
Dr. Hamilton was especially excited to see girls from her own neighborhood in Gadsden County participating. She shared how the event allowed the girls to connect with peers from other schools while exploring various fields. "Make friends across campuses is always a dream of mine as well, whether it’s with music, science, or chemistry," Hamilton said.
The event offered the young girls an up-close look at how women are breaking barriers in various industries. Quashier Flood-Strouble, Director of Career Development at Citizens for a Sustainable Future, shared her motivation behind organizing such an event for these girls.
“6th grade was the age where I really wanted to put some seeds down for education and then hopefully these seeds will sprout, and they will pick careers and some of these STEM and different beautiful local careers,” Flood-Strouble said.
Flood-Strouble also emphasized the importance of giving the girls a real, hands-on career exploration experience. "That’s really important for them to learn something, not just to talk with them but to actually do something with them, interact with them. That to me is real career exploration," she said.
The event, which marked the first 'Girls Out Loud' gathering, aims to continue reaching out to young girls throughout the year and beyond. Dr. Hamilton believes the experience will have a lasting impact on the girls. “I think that they will look back on this and hopefully this opportunity that they will have to bring science into their life and also hopefully to make some friendships,” she said.
By the end of the day, these girls left with a renewed sense of possibility, inspired by women who are not only leaders in their careers but also role models for future generations.
Flood-Strouble summed it up best, saying, "These girls are going home with new dreams and possibilities in mind, knowing that the sky’s the limit."
It was a powerful reminder that representation matters, and the future is full of endless possibilities for these young girls.
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