Last year marked the first year of The Pangea Network’s third program, The Young Women’s Leadership Challenge (YWLC). Through the YWLC we helped young, high school aged leaders learn about global issues, themselves, and how to be better leaders. Our goal was to help girls find their strength, voice, and passion for bettering the world by giving them tools for success. What happened during and after the camp was more than we could have imagined. Many of the girls were so inspired by the curriculum and network they gained from the camp that they have gone on the start clubs in their own schools or make the clubs they were already a part of become more successful.
One story of many that inspired us is of Elyssa Buntzel and Celine De Leon from Elkins High School – two extraordinary women who are making a measurable difference in their communities. After the YWLC, Elyssa and Celine, both currently 17, saw the need for their peers to learn the curriculum they learned during camp. Therefore, the girls started the Young Women’s Leadership Club at their high school, based loosely on YWLC curriculum.
“The YWLC program really brought to light the empowerment struggles of women. It helped us initiate the club. Without the summer camp, I don’t think we would have started it. It gave us the tools and the confidence. It gave me something to be passionate about and a goal to change the world.”
Throughout the year, the girls, Elyssa as President and Celine as Vice President, grew their club’s membership to approximately 30 members, both male and female. Every other Thursday, their club met and had discussions and debates on leadership, women in leadership, and how to become better community members. They covered many of the same YWLC topics such as financial literacy, women in the media, current events and global issues, and the importance of giving back. They also bring in prominent leaders in the community, including The Pangea Network’s very own Nicole Minor. One big issue the girls wanted to tackle were self-esteem issues, dependence on social media, and importance of face-to-face contact. As a result, the ladies advocated the importance of support, networking and discussing issues openly.
A core theme of their group, Elyssa says, is to inspire their members to give back to the community. The young leaders have helped organize team-building trips to the Houston Food Bank and have been a part of multiple events such as collecting jeans for donation and donating baked goods for medical professionals and patient’s families in the neonatal unit. They also wanted their members to be advocates for encouraging more involvement in their club and inspiring their peers. Their hope was that the club would continue running strong after they both leave for college next year because “girls and boys our age need this. They don’t teach it in school” says Elyssa. The girls are also hoping to bring similar clubs to their colleges of choice.
When we asked about their experience at the YWLC at Rice University last summer, a striking comment was that they both view the world differently now. They know that YWLC has made them better leaders and we at Pangea have no doubt about that. These two women are going far and we are proud to call them Alumni of the Young Women’s Leadership Challenge (YWLC) camp.
