BROADWAY, NC - The halls of Broadway Elementary School were packed with students waiting to get a glimpse of the school’s honorees for Women’s History Month. This past Friday was the school’s first Women’s History Month Celebration, which featured a parade through the school highlighting 27 special women from our community followed by interactive discussion in each classroom with one of the special guests.
Yolanda Womble, Broadway’s new School Counselor, was the visionary behind this celebration, and with a team surrounding her to help, brought to life an engaging event for students and staff alike. “I was planning our Black History Month activities for the school, and I remembered that March was Women’s History Month. I was thinking about ways we could empower the women and girls in our community. When I pitched the idea to our administration, their eyes lit up, and I knew it was something we needed to do.”
With the blessing of the administration, Womble went to work with Mrs. Vivian Gierbolini and Jenny DeLeon. The team put together a group of 27 different women from various backgrounds and fields of work across the community. From office support workers and educators, to fire fighters and mayors, women from across the county came together to send a message of empowerment and possibility to the students at the school.
“I hope our girls see that there is nothing that they can’t do. If they dream it and they work towards it, they can do it,” said Womble. “ I want our guys to think of ways to encourage the girls and empower the girls to reach for their goals. My overall dream is that the two come together to really create a workspace that is equal for everyone.”
Each classroom got a special visitor and they came in to talk to students about their career, their triumphs, their struggles, and those that encouraged them along the way. Destini A., a fifth grade student at the school explained, “It made me feel good to meet these ladies. I learned that being an adult is hard, sometimes you just have to keep pushing through it. If someone says something or does something to get you down, you just have to push through it. You never let go of your dream. Don’t listen to the haters, just do what you do.”
Another fifth-grader, Nayelis R., agreed, “Today was fun because we got to meet new people and learn about their jobs. I heard that being an adult is hard, but once you start practicing and working hard, you can get it.”
“You know, this event is just so much of me,” Womble explained. “I’m a part of this parade.I have always thought about doing some things, but I never thought I could do it. When I was getting my associates degree, I heard a student ask a guest speaker, ‘How can we make more money?’ The guest speaker said you really want to pursue getting your masters or a doctorate. At the time I was like, ‘That’s not going to happen. Not for me.”
She continued, “My kids pushed me to get my undergraduate degree. I completed that at 55 years old. I still wasn’t making anything close to what I thought my degree was worth, so I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to get my masters degree.’ My oldest daughter encouraged me and so I did. I believed I could, so I just did.”