Catholic schools empower girls to become leaders, advocates for others (Women's History Month)

Across the Archdiocese of Newark, Catholic schools are at the forefront of empowering young women with distinctive leadership opportunities, engaging service activities, and personalized education alongside academic excellence. These initiatives are designed to cultivate the next generation of successful young Catholic women, equipped with the values and skills to make a meaningful impact in an ever-changing world.

Here are several ongoing programs currently empowering young women within the Catholic schools of the archdiocese.

Giving voice to young female leaders

Four students from the Academy of the Holy Angels (AHA) in Demarest accompanied 12,000 international leaders to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Taylor Glynn from Hoboken, Lauren Gumban from Lodi, Alexa Diaz from Fair Lawn, and Kate Langan from Haworth proudly represented AHA at this yearly conference. As an accredited non-governmental agency with a United Nations seat, the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) make this opportunity possible for AHA students every year.

*From left to right, Alexa Diaz, Taylor Glynn Kate Langan, and Lauren Gumban attended the 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York City.*

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, held in New York City from March 11 to 22 this year, advocates for gender equality and the empowerment of women, establishes global norms, and records the experiences of women worldwide. Sister Beatriz Martinez-Garcia, SSND, who serves as the Director of the School Sisters’ United Nations non-governmental organization office, hosted the students as her special guests.

Glyn, a senior, described the conference attendees as brilliant leaders and peacemakers of the world. “It was incredible to hear these people speak, as the sense of dedication toward progress on the status of women was palpable in every room we visited,” Glynn said. “My time at the UN both expanded and reinforced my worldview, as I had the opportunity to learn from experts and advocates about issues that I have taken a lot of time to educate myself about.”

Empowering girls to embrace leadership through faith

Immaculate Heart Academy (IHA) in the Township of Washington recently celebrated the third anniversary of its biannual event, the Catholic Women’s Leadership Conference known as BELIEVE. The conference, for IHA students, took place from March 9-11 at the Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor, PA.

In 2019, the conference was established to address the noticeable absence of female representation among the speakers at other local Catholic conferences that students were attending. The school administrators decided to organize a new conference that would focus on the experiences and voices of young women and is aligned with Gospel-focused personal development.

This year, 85 students “celebrated their sisterhood and participated in prayerful reflection and inspiring discussions,” according to Emily Ash, theology teacher and service coordinator at IHA.

*Immaculate Heart Academy girls across four grade levels attended the biannual conference.*

The purpose of the conference, according to Ash, is for students to “strengthen their relationship with God.” Ash said that over three days, students engaged in “thought-provoking workshops, and at the same time built on the strong bonds of their sisterhood. Our students also attended Mass and Eucharistic Adoration and listen to powerful guest speakers.”

The keynote speaker at the 2024 conference was Samantha Povlock, a Catholic wife and mother who is the founder, CEO, and Editor in Chief of FemCatholic, a group dedicated to guiding, inspiring, and strengthening Catholic women as they pursue spiritual growth, according to the FemCatholic website.

“The BELIEVE. 2024 conference was an eye-opening weekend that gave each girl the opportunity to grow in her faith with her sisters,” said junior Grace Guglielmetti, Social Media Chair for the Campus Ministry Executive Board. “The conference was nothing short of amazing and is truly something I hope every IHA girl can experience.”

Leading by example

To kick off Women’s History Month, Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit hosted a panel of successful alumnae and a parent to discuss women in business with upper school students. The event was student-led and hosted by the Future Business Leaders of America Club in cooperation with the Counseling Office.

Speakers included women with careers in fund management, enterprise risk management, computer science, and investment strategy. Among the distinguished speakers were Lucy DeStefano, who serves as Global Head of Systematic Investing Trading at Soros Fund Management; Kristen Ehinger, a salesperson at Empirical Research Partners and a fashion entrepreneur; Christine D’Agostino, the Global Head of Enterprise Risk Management at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.; and Caroline Abel, a software engineer contributing to the advancements at Lazarus AI.

Reflecting on her place in a male-dominated field as a software engineer for Lazarus AI, and artificial intelligence company, alumna panelist Caroline Abel told the young women, “I’m used to being one of the few women in the room. The most important part is being confident and believing that you belong in the room and that your voice is important.”

Following the panel discussion, the guest speakers adjourned to separate classrooms, where they met with the students in small groups.

*Panelists fielded questions from curious students at the Business Panel.*

Uplifting women in need through service

The mission of the Girl Up Club at Saint Vincent Academy in Newark is focused on serving homeless youth. Girl Up is a girl-centered leadership development initiative, focusing on equity for girls and women in spaces where they are unheard or underrepresented.

Members of the Girl Up Club decided to assist Covenant House, an international organization dedicated to offering shelters and comprehensive services to youth experiencing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking. With the help of their friends and family, students collected bags of hygiene products including shampoos, oral hygiene products, toiletries, and feminine products for the Covenant House New Jersey in Newark.

“Seeing a need and doing our part to meet that need is our Vincentian legacy,” said Joan Tyburczy, principal at Saint Vincent Academy. “We are very proud of our community and Girl Up for embracing this opportunity to serve.”