At SUNY Plattsburgh, we have our very own program, Shine On!, that believes developing self-esteem and resiliency in young girls will better equip them with the coping skills they need to resist the societal pressures they will face in their lives.
Our annual conference was held April 9th this year and it was another success. The girls as well as the mentors had a lot of fun while learning valuable lessons and insights to media and marketing literacy, communication skills and character strengths.
It was remarkable to see the third to fifth grade girls come into the conference – a little quiet and shy but by lunch they were very comfortable. It’s such a remarkable feeling being a mentor and knowing that you have the ability to help someone.
Looking back to myself at their age, I do remember the struggle it was to try to fit in. People can be so cruel. Listening to their stories of classmates being unkind was heartbreaking but it really shows you how important programs like these are for girls their age.
It’s a horrible feeling thinking how girls as young as third grade don’t want to have their pictures taken because they think they look bad. They’re growing up much different than we did – they now have to face unkind people not just at school but also on social media.
I saw first-hand the impact that Shine On! can make. This 9-year-old girl made every excuse not to go to the rock climbing workshop. After talking to her for a few minutes she opened up about why she didn’t want to rock climb. She was scared because the first time she tried at school she was made fun of because she hurt her leg while climbing and started to cry. I told her she didn’t have to rock climb if she didn’t feel comfortable but her and I should go into the room and cheer her friends on.
After a few minutes of being in the room she asked me if I had ever rock climbed. I tld her how I was terrified of heights but last year at Shine On! I conquered my fear and climbed the wall – with the motivation and cheering from the girls in my group. She then told me, “If you can do it, so can I,” and she grabbed a harness and said she would try one more time.
We all cheered for her as she climbed and touched the top of the wall. The smile on her face was another reassurance of how programs like Shine On! are needed for girls. The fear they have can easily be diminished with help from older girls because normally younger girls do look up to us.
The girls in the Plattsburgh area are fortunate enough to have a program like this to help them and to teach them different skills they need to face societal pressures as well as their own fears. Shine On! is something they look forward to every year. I believe that every school should have a program to reach out and help girls in their college-town community.
"It's important because we learn that people in the magazines aren't real and you shouldn't try to look like them." -Maddy, 10
“Shine On! is important because it empowers girls to be happy with who they are.” – Alexa, 11
“I like Shine On! because it is full of activity.” –Abigail, 9
“Shine On! is important so girls can feel equal and important.” –Elysia, 10
“I like Shine On! because you get to connect with other girls and the mentors are awesome!” –Olivia, 11
“I like Shine On! because you can be yourself.” –Ellie, 9
"I like Shine On! because there are a bunch of fun activities and you get to have a girls night!" -Laney, 8
