The Reason

At Chinquapin, we used to have a club called Womans Group. It brought the older girls together and helped us to not feel as if we're alone. We found we shared similar problems and had the same insecurities. The girls in Womans Group were there for one another. Unfortunately, this club gradually disappeared. My classmate and I plan to bring this club back, but to make it even greater. It's going to be a place where older girls can learn to build their self-esteem, reach for their goals, and inform one another on different issues. It'll be a place for the girls to grow closer and try to better themselves along with their communities.

We expect to do a lot of research on what types of activities the group should do together. We want the girls to bond and have fun, but we also feel that they should learn skills that would be useful in the future. We'd like to take suggestions from the girls about what they would like to do. In the past years we had Career Days, took cooking classes and participated in open discussions. We learned that Young Womans Group took an etiquette class and had a book club; our club can do that, too. Since we'll be the older girls, we can discuss subjects that are more mature and important in our lives. We've been trying to get in contact with past teachers that were in charge of Woman's Group and Young Woman's Group to see how they organized they're events. We're hoping that they can help us get in contact with people that are willing to contribute to our club.

I believe that Alejandra Badillo and I are qualified to undertake this project because we were members of Woman's Group. Since we're seniors, it's our duty to look for ways to improve our community and have a positive influence on the other students. We know other teachers that were involved in this and we're motivated to bring this club back. However, we'd like to change the name to Ladies of Chinquapin. We'd like to create a new club that incorporates characteristics from Woman's Group and we're determined to create Ladies of Chinquapin for the older girls in our community.

Liszette Mariely Garcia, President and Founder.
Address:
8325 Bassett St.
Houston, TX 77051
Cell Phone Number: 832-622-4961
Blog: http://liszette2012.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.wix.com/marielyatzell/ladiesofchinquapin

Baby Steps

During the summer, I decided that I would create a movie. I planned for it to be an hour long, move my audience and give a feeling of accomplishment to all those would have helped. However, I've now changed my idea.
While riding on the bus, Ana and I began to discuss our senior project. She wanted to help teenage girls that were going through the same issues she went through. She was forced to face her problems on her own, and didn't want someone else to do the same. I asked her who she would help. The girls in Houston? The girls in Denver Harbor? She didn't know. So, I suggested she start with the girls in our Chinquapin community.

Now, there was already a group like this at Chinquapin not too long ago. Ana and I began to reminisce about the days of Women's Group. The girls went to a career day together, took an italian cooking class together, and had planned many more activities. Unfortunately, the group began to fade away my 9th grade year, in 10th grade it was just a shadow of it's former self, and by 11th grade there wasn't a trace of the group left.

We found this really heartbreaking because we felt there was a strong need for Women's Group. Yes, there's a Young Women's Group for the middle school girls (and this has been extremely helpful for the younger girls on campus), but there's nothing for the older girls at Chinquapin. We need help and guidance, too. We still need support and advice. We're still confused about things in life.

Although Ana had decided to take her project in a different direction, our conversation really stuck with me. It affected me so deeply that I decided to change my project altogether. So, I have partnered up with another classmate, Ale, and we've decided to bring the Ladies of Chinquapin to our community.