There is something powerful that happens when young women walk into a room and, perhaps for the first time, see their futures reflected back at them.
On March 25, in honor of Women’s History Month, 50 high school juniors and seniors from H.D. Woodson High School, High Point High School, and Potomac High School gathered for Pathways to Success.
Hosted by the Women United network of the United Way of the National Capital Area and sponsored by the Beekeeper Group, the event created a space for young women to explore their potential without limits.
From the moment the day began, the message was clear: your future is yours to define.
“It makes me very happy they had this opportunity through United Way [NCA] and see everything they’re going to learn,” High Point High School Community School Coordinator Rosa Ayala shared.
Through panel discussions and intimate roundtable conversations, students connected with Women United members who have paved their own way across industries. These weren’t distant success stories; they were real, tangible examples of what’s possible when ambition meets opportunity.
“What I really love about our Women United members is that so many of them—of course, they’re philanthropists who are so generous with their time and with their financial resources—but, more importantly, they are women. They are mothers. They also are individuals who have had to go through career journeys and navigate a lot of challenges themselves,” United Way NCA’s Individual Giving Officer Candace Gibson said.
When we come together to share our journeys, lessons, and experiences, we hold up a mirror for the next generation. In that reflection, they don’t just see who we are; they begin to see who they can become.
“Seeing women in fields, I imagine myself, it gives me motivation. It gives me inspiration knowing I can do the same,” Potomac High School student Kawthar expressed. It’s hard to imagine yourself doing something without having confirmation that it is possible.”
At the heart of the day was a simple yet profound reminder from United Way NCA Chief External Affairs and Transformation Officer Dr. Nicole Cooper: “We are you.”
A powerful truth lies in those three words: the gap between who these young women are today and who they can become tomorrow.
As the event came to a close, participants turned their energy outward by packing menstrual hygiene kits to support their peers at their home schools.
The impact of Pathways to Success will not be measured by a single day, but by the ripple effects it creates in classrooms, in communities, and in the lives of the young women who walked away seeing themselves differently.
When young women are encouraged to dream boldly and are supported by those who see them, they begin to understand that they are not waiting for opportunity. They are becoming it.
Learn more about the ALICE population and how the United Way of the National Capital Area is empowering ALICE youth across our region.
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