34 The QUEE NS Courier • MARCH 19, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Girls Expo opens a world of possibilities John Casablancas Centers New York Life Insurance Company 2015 Girls of Merit Boro Pregnancy Counseling Center Queens County Bank Lois Christie & Co. Salon & Spa by Angela Matua editorial@queenscourier.com, @queenscourier Girls from across Queens gathered at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sunday, March 15, to celebrate each other’s accomplishments and take part in workshops designed to inspire and educate. The Girls World Expo at the Terrace on the Park brought more than 700 girls for a day filled with events put on for girls, by girls. Hosted by The Queens Courier, the event celebrates girls who are doing exceptional work in their communities. Co-founder Varinda Missett said they decided to focus on girls from ages 11 to 18 because this is when they develop patterns in their life that define their self-esteem, self-body image and career choices. To kick off the expo, the Girls of Merit breakfast honored 12 girls from Queens who excel academically and who also participate in community service. Maryam Mian, an 11th grader at John Bowne High School in Flushing was one of the young women honored at the brunch. Mian, who is in the top 10 percent of her class, is the youngest of five siblings and was raised by a single mother. Mian and her friend Bianca Robinson nominated each other for the award and were surprised to find that both of them were invited to accept the honor. “It makes me feel really happy and encouraged that it’s available for so many girls to know that they are beautiful and to know that they have options for them,” Mian said. “I know personally, when I was younger I didn’t really think that people were there for you or that things were available.” Among the exhibiters at the expo, St. John’s University excited Mian the most. As a junior, college is increasingly becoming a priority for her. Sandra Altman, who works at the graduate admissions office at St. John’s University, said the school decided to sponsor the expo because the girls of merit reflect the kind of students St. Johns attracts and also aligned with their mission to create service opportunities for their students. “It’s important to empower other women to go to college,” Altman said. “I mean, you hear all these statistics and I think it’s just a great opportunity to educate girls not only just about St. Johns, but about college, and inspire them to go to college.” The eight seminars at the expo were split into two sessions and covered self-esteem, bullying, leadership, confidence and healthy relationships. Pierre Saint Jean, assistant vice president and branch manager at Queens County Savings Bank helped run a seminar titled “Finance and You,” which educated young girls on how to handle money. Saint Jean thought it was important for Queens County Savings Bank to sponsor and participate in the event to make sure that girls in Queens know they have support from their community. “We believe that we should encourage young girls to really believe in what they’re doing and to see that they have a community that really wants to back them up in their endeavors and their future,” Saint Jean said. Sprinkled between the seminars were dance and musical performances from the dance group Pepper Steppers, the Queens Dance Project, and music from Talina, among others. Tara Chester, community coordinator for District Attorney Richard A. Brown’s office, decided to bring her 13-year-old daughter to the event along with a few girls from a program she runs called “Rights of Passage” for girls 12 to 14. Chester’s program informs girls about topics such as self-esteem, finance, health and nutrition. She hoped to meet experts to invite to her program and in turn, inspire another group of girls who may not have attended this event. “This is a wonderful program,” Chester said. “This is my first year and I hope to come back next year.” “We are so excited to host the second-annual Girls World Expo,” said Amy Amato, The Queens Courier’s vice president of events. “It is so important to recognize young girls who are making a difference in their communities and schools. This event is also about making sure that we empower, encourage and instill the confidence they need to become young successful women. The event was sponsored by St. John’s University, Queens County Savings Bank, CUNY, Christie & Co. Salon • Spa, Bodian Dermatology, Cord Meyer Development Company, John Casablancas Centers, Boro Pregnancy Counseling Center. A special thanks to Markens Jewelers located at the Queens Center Mall for donating Alex and Ani bracelets to the honorees, the Sugar Factory located at 46 Gansevoort St, NYC for the donation of goody bags to honorees, Creative Group, llc who donated the 4 nights/5 days trip to Cancun and Aqua by Bloomingdales for sponsoring the fashion show. Photos by Allen Ngai and Arthur de Gaeta St. Johns University Bodian Dermatology
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