Girls unite to form new club

Girls United, headed by seniors Eva Lynch and Geena Donnelly, is making waves as a new Silverado club focused on women empowerment. The club maintains its status through online Google Meets and COVID-friendly community events. 

“When we started making the club, we realized there were no groups aimed at bringing girls up,” Lynch recalled.   

High school girls commonly struggle through insecurities in their teenage years and often do not have a safe space to turn to. The stresses of friend groups and assignments can leave girls with mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Online school doesn’t make matters any easier, causing teens to lack socialization, important to development.

“We want girls to feel that they have a place in this world and aren’t taken for granted. Girls need people to relate to,” Donnelly said.

Girls United focuses on creating an environment that empowers girls and helps them grow. By combining elements of community service, friendship building and personal growth, the club guides members through the difficult world of high school. Honesty and openness is an important part of gaining valuable skills in this club.

Natalie Rivera, the senior creative coordinator for Girls United, has been personally impacted by the club.

“Girls United has allowed me to become more loving and accepting of myself,” Rivera noted. “I have laughed way more than I have in the past two years.”   

Maintaining a club entirely through Google Meets can be a challenge. However, Lynch remains hopeful.

“We hope to grow our membership. Even though we are facing a lot of obstacles, we do want to have volunteer speakers and participate in volunteer work,” Lynch said.

Meetings begin by reviewing the agenda and discussing “highs and lows” for the week. What follows is a discussion of ways to combat insecurities, a look at current events personally impacting members, and a fun game. The meetings are just the tip of the iceberg, as Girls United works to organize safe community events. The club met in celebration of Halloween at a local park last fall, for example.

Also, Snehal Bhakta, a CCSD coordinator focused on women empowerment, has aided in advertising the club to other schools for a future expansion. This expansion would allow for girls from other CCSD high schools to attend the Girls United meetings. However, with Donnelly and Lynch both members of the senior class, the future of this club rests in the hands of younger members. It is a prime goal to keep the club going through the end of this school year.

The club meets every Thursday from 1-2 p.m. via a Google Meet. Meetings are open to all Silverado girls. Interested girls can contact Lynch or Donnelly through the Girls United Instagram (@girlsunited.students) for the meet code and further information.