The dictionary calls empowerment “the act of gaining confidence and control of your life,” but at Austin Community College recently, it was actually 40-plus young women getting a head start on their future.

ACC hosted the Youth Leadership Institute July 14-18 for African-American girls from across Greater Austin. Girls aged 11 to 18 and packed with energy have attended workshops on education planning, leadership, and career development.

“This is more than I expected,” said 14-year-old Sayo Davis of Round Rock, while taking a break after Wednesday’s presentation on “Color Me Beautiful: Putting My Best Self Forward.”

“It’s really interesting,” agreed Alexus Falkquay, of McCallum High School, who had just finished a “Building Blocks to College Readiness” workshop. “Half the stuff I didn’t know before. The college information is really helpful. ”
ACC partnered with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas to host the five-day event and invited middle school and high school girls from across the region. Participants primarily represented the Austin, Round Rock, and Pflugerville districts.

“This is the age when a lot of peer pressure and outside influences have a greater impact on these girls,” said Dr. Sharon Frederick, ACC’s student learning director and event coordinator with Loretta Edelen, community outreach director.

“This institute is helping these young ladies realize they do want to stay in school, they do need to think about their career,” Edelen said. “Here, they’re meeting other girls like themselves from across the city and learning that college should be a part of their future.”

A popular activity was a computerized assessment that helped the girls identify careers matching their interests. Some girls discovered interests in architecture and nursing, while others explored dream jobs like acting and singing.

ACC staff and faculty worked with each girl, talking about how to reach a career goal and how to have a backup plan.

“If you want to be a pediatrician or a singer, that’s great, but what do you want to do in case that doesn’t happen?” Edelen asked. “We want the girls to think creatively about all their career options.”
Austin High School 10th-grader Desiree Davis learned how much college she needs to become a social worker, and how much money she can make in this high-demand career.

“It’s not about the money, though,” Desiree said. “I want to help kids and to help parents be better.”

Seventy percent of the girls – even those who live nearby – had never been to an ACC campus before attending the institute, Frederick noted.

“It’s important for ACC to have events like this,” she said. “We want residents to know ACC is here for them and can help them achieve their goals.”

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