Brittany Wolverton and Shea Daniels grew up in Appalachia, applied to Ohio University, were accepted and now are sophomores studying social work and creative writing, respectively.
This doesn't seem so out of the ordinary, but for women in Appalachia, it is.
Sometimes the biggest thing that makes coming here unfeasible is that you don't see anybody from your area going to college
Daniels said. It's very common in Appalachia that when a student goes to college it's a two-year technical college.
The problem, however, is that many students do not want to study nursing or education at a technical college, but might feel like they have no other choice, Daniels said. This is why she and Wolverton formed the new student group Future Women of Appalachia.
The organization mentors young girls from Athens County and opens their eyes to the opportunity of a four-year university, like OU.
The whole point is not to market OU to these girls but rather to tell them
'It's here if you want it
' Wolverton said. It's about empowerment
and if you want it
anything is
possible.
The group partnered with Girl Power, a program in the Department of Health and Human Services for girls aged 9 to 13. Every year, Girl Power hosts a lock-in, and Future Women of Appalachia is fundraising to provide a DJ.
There's a lot of generational poverty in Athens
but FWA can show the girls that they can go on to college ... and have control over what their future holds
said Kerri Shaw, founder of the Athens County Girl Power group and a social worker for Children's Services at Trimble Middle School.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 85 percent of people 25 years and older in Athens County are high school graduates or higher while only 27 percent received a bachelor's degree or higher, as of 2008.
Future Women of Appalachia is also planning campus visits and other mentoring activities for girls in the Appalachian area for later in the year. The group meets from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays in the Women's Center, which is on the fourth floor of Baker University Center.
If you plant the seed early enough
then they'll be able to blossom by the time it's time for them to get here
Wolverton said.
