By Angela Rivas,

Patterson High School, Queendom, and the Family League of Baltimore joined in collaboration to take Patterson students and students from other schools to a conference at Morgan State University on December 9, 2016.. The purpose of this conference was to help teenagers build stronger self-esteem and to help them develop a strong sense of self-worth. The program was particularly for black and hispanic girls.

Students from Patterson’s Nail Tech program participated in the event along with other students from our school. During the event, students got to meet strong women who have had to overcome so many obstacles to get where they wanted to be. Also during the event each of the girls walked to the stage and received a crown, which represented them in how unique and valuable they are.

People these days say that we young girls don’t respect ourselves and that we are acting crazy. Some people might also say we won’t be able to get to anywhere we want. However, that is not true. We are capable of doing anything we put our minds to. Queendom helped young girls feel confident and good about themselves. The program motivated them and helped them to have a new mind-set. “I remember what one of the women at the event said”, recalled Any Corea, one of the students who participated in Queendom. “A rich woman is not how much she makes [but] how much she keeps”.

Queendom was a successful event. We had so much fun and we got out of there with a positive attitude. This program showed me that I’m able of doing anything; all I have to do is trust myself and work for it. No one is different. Sometimes we are judged by our race or skin color but at the end none of that stuff matters because I know that one day I’ll be a successful hispanic girl.