In the article posted at the bottom of these images, the young women planning a public event through the auspices SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF GRAND ERIE, celebrating empowerment and self-esteem, achieved phenomenal success this day April 6 2019. Over 50 female high school students from Brant spent the day meeting new friends, listening to enthusiastic business women extol the virtues and rewards for investing in yourself, and exploring new possibilities and growth. 

LEADERS AT WORK:

WORK SHOPS:

OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT.

For background on how they got here, please enjoy the article below:

The word ‘Soroptimist’ hardly fits into our daily conversation, but is significant in our daily community. This organization of business women throughout our local economy are dedicated to mentoring young women of high school age. 

Click here for YouTube promo of Free Event April 6

Laurie Cappe, coordinator of one of the Grand Erie Soroptimist project, ‘Dream It: Be It’ said it best when helping learn the pronunciation, “Think of it as two concepts…Soar, and Optimist. We help young women to discover their dreams, explore careers, create goals, rise above obstacles, and turn failure into success.”

On Saturday morning at a committee meeting of the steering committee, more than a dozen dedicated teenagers from high schools across the Grand Erie Board jurisdiction were putting final touches on a free public event for April 6. It’s notable that this was also the first weekend of the Spring Break when many of their peers were likely still in their pajamas barely aware of the new day.

The theme of the ‘Dream it, Be it’ event is encourage other young women to ‘Love Yourself’. This free day long conference will bring successful women from a variety of industry sectors to speak about opportunity and positivity for the future. Over 100 are expected to register and you can contact them and  register through www.soroptimistgranderie.ca

The young ladies offered incentive for others to join them:

Teena: “This has been an amazing opportunity that you are not likely to get someplace else.”

Madhu: “These girls are surrounded by positivity.”

Emily: “We all enjoy participating together and see our ideas become events”

Harmony: “And we get credited for volunteer hours for school while we better ourselves.”

On this Saturday morning, the steering committee, in order to find additional clarity and motivation, heard from a gentleman who has exemplified their agenda. 

Aaron Gauthier is a successful morning announcer on 98.9 my FM, Simcoe. At age 2 he was told that his Cancer would not allow him to see his teen years. His legs were brittle from the disease and he was given a prognosis to not expect to ever be able to walk either. At the ripe old age of 19, he made a significant decision to fight. He has since had several prosthetic legs costing over $160,000 and expects to have spent around $2 million by the time he is 80…and he intends to reach that milestone. He is also an advocate for amputees and a motivational speaker for youth. He sees no value in dwelling on the past or what went wrong. “Focus on what you are good at… why focus on shortcomings? I use life lessons to change my focus from what I can’t do to what I can do.” He went on to describe an incident at Port Dover when he and a friend were caught in a rip tide and distressed, particularly as he was bouncing in the waves on only one leg, and began to panic.  They saw another head floundering in the surf and instead of saving themselves, managed to bring that individual on their shoulders, hopping to shore, and all survived. “Ask yourself why you are doing something and put less focus on the how.” His final wisdom was that if you look on your life or struggles or fears,

“Always believe in yourself and reflect on the truth… you are who you hang out with.”

Cheers to the women of the Soroptimists. Congratulations to the young women promoting mentorship to their peers.

Parents, this is a kick start on the rest of your children’s lives.

Young ladies, Join them now and Live your Dream.