Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month, and at the Boys & Girls Club we are celebrating the incredible women that make up our club! We sat down with a few of our female leaders, and spoke with them about inspiring women in their lives and for insight on some of the challenges young women at our clubs face today and how we can help them combat these challenges. Everyday we are inspired by the strong, intelligent and resilient females at our club. Learn more about a few of those women below!
Andrea Baez- Chief Program Officer for the Boys and Girls Club of Metro North
Who is a woman that inspires you and why? “A woman that inspires me is my 16 year old daughter, as a young person, navigating how hard life is. Between, social media, social norms, school work, getting ready for college: she has her head screwed on straight. She is super focused, empathetic, kind, she is all the things that I wish I was as a young person.”
What advice would you give young women that come to our clubs today? “Stay off of social media. It is a lie. When I look at our young people, whether it’s young people in our clubs and programs, or young people that work with us I think that this generation, unfortunately, has a lot of outside pressures, and the more we can teach them to truly disconnect and disengage from social media, from phones, from technology, the better. A wise woman once said that comparison is the thief of joy. And I think that our young people, specifically, women, are always comparing themselves, whether it’s grades, status, size, what they look like. I would encourage young women to be present and focus on themselves.”
What do you think is the biggest challenge that young girls face today? And how can we support them in these challenges? “I think it’s making sure that they have the right outside influences. There is so much misinformation in the world, it is so easy to get caught up in things that aren’t true. Whether it be a filter on a person that they think they need to look like a certain esthetic, or the perfect trip or perfect house or perfect room or the perfect outfit or this perfect, perfect that, perfect, perfect life. It’s not perfect. It is messy. And I think the more we can wrap our arms around young women and remind them that everybody is their own perfect mess, that they will feel more secure in themselves and their decision making.”
What advice would you give your younger self? “Talk less, listen more. Save your money, take the trip. The bank account will always replenish itself. Experiences will always be in your mind forever. And to look out for each other. Young women today do not have the lift as they climb mentality. So I think really going back to the foundations of how all of us gals got here and remembering the trail blazers that came before us.”
Alexis Croce- Stoneham Teen Center Director
Who is a woman that inspires you and why? “A woman that inspires me is Amy Croce. She has been a great mentor and leader, and she is truly my rock.”
What advice would you give young women that come to our clubs today? “To know your worth and to use your voice and to be confident with yourself.”
What do you think is the biggest challenge that young girls face today? And how can we support them in these challenges? “I think the biggest challenge is social media and living up to an expectation that might not be real. People just need to live their own lives and not put timelines or expectations on themselves, and just live their truth.”
What advice would you give your younger self? “To love yourself and to really just be confident with yourself and be proud of who you are.”
Rebecca Rowell- Director of the INspire Cafe Initiative
Who is a woman that inspires you and why? “A woman that inspires me right now would be Congresswoman Sarah McBride. I think that Sarah McBride is an incredibly brave, strong individual, facing challenges with such grace in the face of adversity. I think that we could all take a page from her book when it comes to the grace that she carries, and the bravery that she shows every day.”
What advice would you give to young girls who attend our clubs today? “I think the best advice that I could give is to be true to yourself and to do your best to be a good person to everybody around you and also to yourself. Also to prioritize being a good community member.”
What do you think is the biggest challenge that young girls face today? And how can we support them in these challenges? “I think the cultural demands of social media and the fact that everything is so instant. My advice would be to pay more attention to what’s going on right in front of you. The interactions you have with people that you see on a daily basis are so much more important. Try to find a balance of social media and modern technology in your life with all the other things you have going on.”
What advice would you give your younger self? “I would tell myself to take a little bit more time between high school and college before making a solid decision on what I want to do with the rest of my life. I think being so young it’s really unrealistic to know who you are going to be 10 or 20 years down the line. I would tell myself to find balance between career and prioritizing being in the moment.”
Paola Rodriguez- Front Desk Receptionist at the Stoneham Teen Center
Who is a woman that inspires you and why? “Definitely, my mom, because she shows me every day how strong she is, and no matter how tired she is, she always keeps going.”
What advice would you give young women that come to our clubs today? “Don’t believe everything you see on social media. Love yourself to the fullest. I feel like nowadays, social media has taken that away. With some of the younger girls that I’ve seen, I feel like social media can cause them to have low self esteem, and it’s just not okay.”
What advice would you give your younger self? “I would let her know how proud she should be of herself and that she has come such a long way. I would tell her to love herself. It’s definitely worth it when you learn how to love yourself. Know your worth. And know that you’re going to be happy.”
Megan Sambroski: Director of Development at INspire Cafe
Who is a woman that inspires you and why? “My two daughters (age 10 +12). I love how different they are and the unique perspective they bring to the world as young women. I admire their confidence and the care they put into the things they love. They inspire me to be a better person.”
What advice would you give young women that come to our clubs today? “Try new things, even when it scares you! You will never regret trying something new, but you will regret not trying. Do your best to harness the confidence to try something that sparks your interest outside of your friend group and expand your circle. You will be surprised at the things that stick for you!”
What do you think is the biggest challenge that young girls face today? And how can we support them in these challenges? “Self esteem seems to be a big challenge, but that is nothing new. I love supporting programs in our clubs and community that build up self confidence and empower young girls with the tools to be successful and advocate for themselves.”
What advice would you give your younger self? “I would tell my younger self that there will be challenges ahead, but they are all there to teach you something. Be patient with yourself- whatever is meant to be will find its way to you.”
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