Spotlight on ASPIRE

The Aspire program is alive, well and off to a great start! Board Member Eugenia Chinsmen and Kathleen Gallagher are the WIM members who are co-leading this year’s program at Westhill High School in Stamford.

This especially rewarding experience gives us the chance to inspire, guide and impart wisdom to the girls at Westhill and help them realize their dreams. Our job is to open their minds so that they can envision unlimited potential – and achieve real success. Going to college, having a professional career or becoming an entrepreneur are just some of the topics we share with them.

Each program will begin with Kathleen taking the girls through a guided mediation. This is an opportunity for the girls to get centered, experience a brief mediation and listen to their “Inner Advisor”.

Our guest speaker – Deborah McDuff was particularly inspirational. Deborah is an artist/sculptress and poet. Deborah shared her evocative, thought provoking poetry and sculptures (masks). All of the girls had the chance to sit in “The Seat of Life” and each read a line from Deborah’s poem…

Seat of Life

I am the seat of life a powerful position we all must fill.
It is the point of no return for the undigested.
Like threads that lay against one another
My legs serve as a passage to the most intimate place of my being
My seat allows me to observe, rest, think and travel
The unknown valleys beyond human control.
I have endured a barb wired journey.
On my backside I carry the feathered paths of truth, love, anger, forgiveness,
Wellness, compassion, understanding, peace and hope to the villages of the world.
Watch where you sit and what you hold!

Deborah’s other poems deals with issues ranging from slavery, violence against women, abortion, incest and rape had the girls riveted to her beautifully crafted words and powerful imagery.

Future programs will include presentation/interviewing skills, resume writing, volunteering and scholarship information.

If you are interested in participating or have an idea for a program, please contact Kathleen Gallagher at (203) 276-9057.

More About ASPIRE

• ASPIRE is a mentoring program founded in 1992 by Women in Management in conjunction with Westhill High School in Stamford, Connecticut.
• The purpose of ASPIRE is to leverage WIM members and their networks to help female students formulate career objectives and develop the skills necessary to reach their goals at Westhill and beyond.
• The acronym ASPIRE stands for: ASK, SEARCH, PREPARE, IMPROVE, REWARD, ENCOURAGE and continues to remain at the core of the program
• In addition to monthly meetings, ASPIRE students may participate in career- related field trips and individualized job-shadowing opportunities.

How You Can Get Involved

• Assist with College Essays
• Host a trip to tour a nearby college
• Become a tutor or mentor
• Tell the girls about your career, your education, or other relevant topic
• Join the ASPIRE Planning Committee