Seniors Ella Anderson, Maddi Portner, and Jessica Pastrana are the leaders for the Girl-Up Club this year. Established five years ago, the club has grown in both numbers and in impact. Anderson explains, “It started off as one person running it and like five or ten people showing up to the club, and this year we have like thirty girls coming and there’s three of us running it and we’re talking about a lot bigger topics.” Girl-Up and its leaders strive to meet the goals most prevalent for the members, including awareness and recognition of certain subjects of feminism. Portner says in defense of the club’s purpose, “I think it would help bring awareness to more social issues that people kind of dismiss or don’t pay attention to,” and Anderson adds, “I would say our goals, also, are to bring more awareness to the rest of the school and not just our club members; and also outside of our community and to give a voice to our peers and to have them be able to share their experiences.” The club leaders inspire their audience by leading members through personal and meaningful conversations, as well as incorporating a fun and supportive environment within the club.

Senior club member Ellie DeCrans describes the Girl-Up community in a very positive light, praising the significance of the club and its greater impact on the Holy Angels student body. She states, “I think it’s just a good place for women to talk about things that have happened and to address real life issues that are happening today.”