Junior, Decision Science major, Audrey Pasnello, is leader on Carnegie Mellon’s campus, and off. In addition to being a member of Delta Delta Delta and an office assistant in the office of admissions, Audrey is also heavily involved with CMU’s chapter of Strong Women Strong Girls (SWSG).
The focus of this non-profit organization is to mentor at-risk girls in 3rd-5th grade at Pittsburgh Public Schools. After spending two years fostering these relationships, Audrey has stepped up as a co-director of SWSG, and aspires to push the club to inspire as many girls and women as possible.
SWSG is built on the foundation of going through cycles of mutual empowerment. In other words, the more the girls and the mentors interact, the more they learn from each other, and therefore, grow together.
“We have the conversations with them that they’re not having at home. We introduce the idea of attending college and aspiring to be a strong woman by mentoring girls on a weekly basis,” says Audrey.
Audrey recalls one girl who once told her that, when she grew up, she wanted to work at Wendy’s. “Her mom worked at Wendy’s, so she was like ‘That’s what I’m gonna do’”. No one told her that she could be an astronaut, a scientist, or a superstar. No one told her that she can work wherever she wants or be whoever she wants to be.
This is where Audrey, and the other CMU SWSG girls come in. Through activities and open dialogue, these college women act as role models and a precedent to strive for.
“It’s about making these girls feel comfortable in their skin. About making them proud to be a female, and to own it.”
Audrey recalls one girl she mentored who, at the start of the semester, did not want to do anything. She would not talk to her peers or to the SWSG mentors. She was mean and angry, and refused to participate in activities. Yet, as the year went on, she slowly began to crawl out of her shell. She became more talkative, and more eager to play games, craft, and dance around. By the end of the semester, she was the chattiest girl in the group. She would always run up to Audrey, give her a huge hug and tell her all about her day. By the end of the program, she became more confident and more comfortable being herself.
For Audrey, mentoring these girls puts life in perspective. A lot of growth on the mentors’ side comes from self-reflection, by checking in with themselves to make sure they are living up the standards of the proud, goal driven women they push these girls to be.
“Strong Women Strong Girls has been such an inspirational experience,” says Audrey. “I feel so blessed to made an impact in these girls’ everyday lives.”