As a result of the 2024 election, the country seems to be deeply divided.
Some areas of the nation are jubilant while others are left feeling dispirited. Regardless of political affiliation, women across the country are grappling with our future, constantly wondering: are our liberties and freedoms protected?
The modern woman has been told she can do anything, whether that’s become a doctor, a lawyer, a novelist, or even an astronaut. But The New York Times recently delved into the question that is on everyone’s minds: Will A Woman Ever Become President?
It is easy to be cynical about the future of womanhood; the results of the election make it justified. However, it is imperative not to wallow in our disappointment, but instead, to use our disappointment to take action. Women need to continue to build up the courage and confidence of not only adults but of the younger generations of girls. Those girls are our future.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with four women: Mary Barchetto, Erin Boyle, Deihdra Miller-Jones, and Deirdre Smith, who have all been involved with Girls on the Run for over a decade.
Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a non-profit organization that strengthens third through eighth-grade girls’ social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills by incorporating both thoughtful character-building lessons and running. The organization hosts a 5K at the end of each season, which the team completes together. Their goal is to provide a tangible sense of accomplishment and set a confident mindset into motion, according to their website.
Each woman I spoke to recounted the profound impact that GOTR instilled in each girl the organization and its volunteers coached. Through fun lessons such as “The Friendship Chair,” an activity where each girl and coach goes behind the other person and recalls something they admired about the said person, they learn to remove the face-to-face element of the interaction. Furthermore, this allows for vulnerability and honesty.
Miller-Jones recounted a time that still sticks with her years after attending GOTR, where one girl told her she was “the engine and heart of the Girls on the Run train.” Her story shows that the program seeks to build deep bonds between girls who are focused on the empowerment of each other.
Barchetto and Boyle also emphasized the significance of the language and communication skills taught during GOTR.
When asking Barchetto about her biggest takeaway from the program, she immediately emphasized the tools that the program teaches to help girls recognize “comfortable” and “uncomfortable” emotions and how to talk through them. She pointed out that girls are often written off as being irrational when sincere emotions arise, as female emotions are rarely validated and often dismissed.
But as a coach and a mother of a child who participates in the program, Barchetto describes how influential GOTR was for her family, as they still use the language surrounding emotions in her house. Smith agreed with this sentiment, saying that even as an adult, hearing that all emotions are valid was life-altering.
Boyle, who was a coach and also had a daughter participate in GOTR, said that she found it difficult to name just one impact the organization made. But the biggest impact, in her opinion, was girls learning how to advocate for themselves.
“As young children, girls aren’t encouraged to stand up for themselves in a way that doesn’t paint them as bullies, or whiny, or difficult—which is how women who say what they want are often painted,” Boyle said. “We need to teach girls and women how to be clear and direct in our communication while leaving room for a reasonable solution to whatever the issue may be.”
Boyle also said that as a coach, they teach girls specific frameworks when confronted with a difficult situation. The foundation for conversation for these girls is to lead a statement with “I feel” and then “I would like you to.”
Boyle described another significant takeaway that GOTR provides such as the value of community service. She recalled a blood drive the team hosted for a peer battling leukemia and how that was a way for many girls to see how service can directly impact someone else’s life. Boyle keeps in touch with many of the girls she coached and noted that service has become a constant in all of their lives.
The end of the season 5K race is monumental; it is an accumulation of the months of hard work, growth, and dedication poured into each girl and woman. No matter how long it took for each girl to cross the finish line, they crossed it exuding sheer confidence.
When talking to Boyle, Barchetto, Miller-Jones, and Smith, they each expressed the need for more programs like GOTR.
Miller-Jones summed it up by saying, “There can never be enough programs that are simply founded on love, kindness, fun, and friendship; a program where the only agenda is to teach girls they have limitless potential.
Though this past election leaves women across the country feeling helpless, it’s programs like GOTR to help us realize that the future is truly female. Women across the nation are obtaining higher levels of education at an unprecedented rate and shattering glass ceilings daily, according to Forbes. It is crucial to continue to look forward and empower those around us.
If there is anything that GOTR has taught me, both as a student and a junior coach, is that if you give a girl the right pair of shoes, she can run the world.Â
Look to see how you can volunteer at your local Girls on the Run chapter: https://www.girlsontherun.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!