EmpoweringU is a young women’s empowerment club focused on the professional and personal growth of girls within the Perkiomen Valley High School community generated by the Student Forum. Two juniors, Taylor Johnson and Siena Vitelli, were inspired to create this club by the Medical Sciences Club. The presidents of EmpoweringU wanted a club with networking opportunities for students.
The club focuses on advocacy and self-care, learning about social and economic issues impacting women, sharing entrepreneurial tips and providing career and personal guidance. Although referred to as a women’s club, it is open to all PVHS students.
“Due to the serious lack of women representation in the business and professional world, we decided to target the young women of our school and inspire the various career paths that they may follow,” Vitelli said, co-president of EmpoweringU. “While our club is promoted as a ‘women’s club,’ we encourage people of all genders to join our club as we are inclusive of everyone.”
Johnson and Vitelli are Mrs. Marino’s students, which inspired them to choose her as the club advisor.
“Both Siena and I are in Mrs. Marino’s class this year. In that class, we learn about social and humanitarian issues impacting women,” Johnson said, co-president of EmpoweringU. “It just felt like a perfect fit for us.”
Mrs. Marino runs Student Forum, and when Johnson and Vitelli approached Mrs. Marino about their idea for this new club, Mrs. Marino saw an opportunity to pivot the direction of the Student Forum.
“The Student Forum used to run, but during COVID, it kind of changed its intentions a lot. We’ve been trying to think of a way to redirect it, so it is purposeful again,” said Mrs. Marino, EmpoweringU club advisor.
The EmpoweringU Club became the solution for Student Forum to reemerge and establish a club for leaders in high school. The club organizes guest speakers to share their experiences as business owners. Following the speaker’s discussion, the club will converse about what they learned and may complete an activity. Occasionally in club meetings, the students will complete community service projects.
“At each club meeting, we aim to educate our classmates with entrepreneurial tips, global issues impacting women or advocacy and self-care tips,” Johnson said.
The club meets on the second Monday of each month, from September to June, in room 213. At their last meeting, alumna of PVHS Sammy Sciarra, joined the club via Zoom to discuss how she started her jewelry business. Sciarra shared that anyone from PV gets a discount if they order in this next month and tag her on Instagram for the business is earthysammyy.