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High schoolers empower young girls through "Fem Power" after school club

A group of young women are seated in a classroom-like setting, engaged in conversation with each other. The background features cabinets and other classroom furnishings, suggesting an educational or community-based environment.
High schoolers empower young girls through "Fem Power" after school club

“Be who you needed when you were younger.”
 

That’s the mantra three seniors at Grand Island Senior High are following, as they work to expand the “Fem Power” after school club they started at Lincoln Elementary.
 

GISH Seniors Yvette Gonzales, Zuri Gomez Cotom, and Jesenia Pedroza-Sotelo know that positive representation makes a difference, especially to young girls. The “Fem Power” club was developed as a National Honor Society project. It sparked from the high school girls’ desire to inspire and empower young girls – to be who they wished they had when they were younger. 
 

Three young women wearing beige hoodies are standing in front of a backdrop displaying the word "Society".


The club recently completed its inaugural run at Lincoln, which is a place familiar to Yvette, Zuri and Jesenia, as they once walked hose same halls as elementary students. 
 

"We really wanted there to be role models for them to be able to reach out to, to learn new things, and to communicate better with each other," Yvette explained.
 

Fem Power met once a week in November and December, with each week focusing on a different topic related to empowering young girls. Topics and presentations included discussing healthy relationships, mental health and self love, goal setting, and community impact and giving back.
 

The goal of the club and the topics discussed were to help the young girls build confidence, make new friends, and promote kindness.
 

Two young students, one wearing a green t-shirt and the other a pink sweatshirt, are engaged in a discussion while holding papers in a classroom setting with various educational materials visible in the background.


For the founders, Fem Power was also about having positive cultural representation. 


Jesenia noted that the group felt a specific calling to provide a Latina influence for the younger generation.
 

"We want to be that influence for them, so that they can see, 'Hey, look, these girls can do it, so can we,'" Jesenia said. "They are our future."
 

While the first program at Lincoln has concluded, the vision for Fem Power is only growing. The three leaders are hoping to expand their club to other elementary schools across the district in the second semester.
 

A group of people, some wearing casual clothing, are seated in what appears to be a classroom or meeting room setting, with various posters and artwork visible in the background.


The club has been mutually beneficial for young girls and for the high schoolers. While the elementary students are learning to be their best selves, the mentors are finding joy in the connections made. 
 

"They just kind of bring me back to life," Yvette explained of the young students in the club. "Just seeing them be girls and have fun every day is great."
 

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