TEAM REFLECTIONS
Throughout the year, as we worked on different events and tasks our team members grew in many ways.
This growth is evidenced in everybody's reflection statements below.
It is clear that this program has not only impacted others but our team as well!
This growth is evidenced in everybody's reflection statements below.
It is clear that this program has not only impacted others but our team as well!
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DIANA AQUINO: My favorite activity of being a part of Girls Build LA was the Mindfulness Fair. This event we orchestrated at school took months of planning. Seeing how everything came together at the end of the day, really paid off. Our school and community were exposed to mindfulness through different activities and had their concerns clarified by a campaign that focuses on immigration issues.By being a part of this group I learned the value of working together as a group. Everyone in the group contribute whether it was pitching and implementing ideas or just being a committed individual to the team. This helped me realize the strength a group of people have when they mobilize. This experience will help me in the future when networking. Not only has this group emphasized the importance of teamwork and community but the essential practice of self care through mindfulness. |
LAURYN ADAMS:
My Favorite Girls Build LA event was the Mindfulness Fair because I felt like the more we learned about mindfulness, the more we were able to be mindful with each other as a team. My team and I worked on the banners and posters to promote the event, and we were also in charge of the raffle baskets. Making the raffle baskets, we saw how many people supported us in this event, and how the involvement of parents and staff contributed in such a positive way. Due to all of the donations, we ended up having 12 raffle baskets. It was amazing to see how we could take this life tool that we learned as a team and share it with others who can use it in their everyday lives.
AZAANA BATTLES:
The Mindfulness Fair was my favorite event we did.This is because we worked very hard to bring mindfulness to the school, and being able to see people happy made me happy. Knowing how stressed out all the students were with classes, Ap classes, and the SAT. It felt good being able to watch them walk around with their friends laughing, smiling, and being peaceful. We really made a huge impact on the school with the event and that made me feel like I did something really amazing.
The most challenging part of being in GBLA was not knowing the girls. I am very shy and don’t really like to open up, so I thought I wouldn’t fit in. I got through this challenge with the support I got from the girls. They were very nice to me they would always help me if I needed it. Eventually I opened up to them and that was the best choice I ever made because the girls and staff in GBLA became my second family.
The impact that girls build LA made on me was to it made me want to continue helping people. I always wanted to help people but I never knew how. GBLA taught me I can help people be mindful and stress free which is something everyone needs. I learned how to not be shy. Also how to present to teachers which can be really beneficial in the work field and in college. I also learned how take a breath and focus on the present tense and focus on the good not the bad.
LIZETH BAUTISTA:
My favorite part of Girls Build LA is when we did freshman classroom presentation. It was great to educate the younger generation on how to be more mindful and help them be less stressed so they can do better in school. I always found it important to teach the younger generation since they are the future. Presenting in front of large groups of people has always been a challenge for me, but being part of Girls build LA has pushed me to overcome that fear. I was able to do multiple announcements to students and teachers about the upcoming Mindfulness fair. Being part of an all-girls team, experiencing what we are all capable of accomplishing, and producing the Mindfulness fair really showed me what a couple of self-driven strong girls can do for our community. The skills I have acquired in Girls Build LA are better communication skills as well as management skills. I’m more open now to present in front large groups of people. because I had to balance school work, Girls Build LA, and other extra activities that I’m also part of.
AIDAN CHANG:
I am most grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a club and community such as Girls Build LA. For me, the most meaningful thing about being a part of GBLA is my new experience with teamwork. I loved working with all my team members to put on our events at school. Before this club, I labeled myself as solely an “independent worker”. It’s now, after all our hard work, that I realize that I can be a leader and a collaborator to make something happen bigger than any one of us.
Of all the events we put on, the Mindfulness Fair was one I found especially enjoyable. Not only did I get to see all our hard work realized in a great fair, but I heard so many great comments from students and teachers alike. It makes me happy this event was received so well and affected so many.
I have learned a lot about myself through being in Girls Build LA. I was responsible for designing the new Mindfulness Poster and learned skills on working with different visions when making a piece of art. I also learned about reaching out to businesses in order to ask for donations. Through this experience, I discovered that I can work efficiently on projects from the time I designed our club shirt in one day. I’ve discovered too that teamwork is not so bad after all.
KIMBERLY CUEVAS:
My favorite GBLA event was the Mindfulness Fair. We all worked very hard on it and the outcome was really great. Many students from our school participated and it made everything that much more special. It wasn’t just any fair, It all was revolving around the whole idea of Mindfulness and we taught the people who came to our event how to practice being mindful in different ways. It was also my favorite because the girls and I got a lot closer throughout the whole thing.
The most challenging part of being in GBLA is staying committed no matter what. To me, GBLA is more than just a school club -- it’s a group of young intelligent ladies who are true to themselves and are passionate about GBLA. It’s had a very huge impact on me, not only has it got me more involved in school, but it’s taught me a lot about time management and being organized with everything I do. I’ve grown and learned a lot since joining GBLA. It’s taught me that no matter your gender, you can do whatever you set your mind to. Women are unstoppable. It’s also taught me that each person counts and in our GBLA team, everyone’s opinions and views are valued. Everyone matters. I’m really glad I’m a part of Girls Build LA.
DIVINE GUTHRIE:
My favorite event at Girls Build LA was the Mindfulness Fair because we all came to together as a group and worked hard. We planned this event for a while and it was a success. We created a safe environment for everyone and spread mindfulness.
The most challenging part of being in Girls Build LA was time management because we had to meet up several times and it was a challenge to balance school and the club. Before being in Girls Build LA, I had a hard time with managing my time but now I have a structured schedule. This team has had a great impact on me because it created a safe place for me to talk to others that I know will understand me. I believe that it helped me see the world in a different perspective. It helped me gain confidence within myself and made me feel strong as a girl. It had a positive impact on my life. I didn't care to speak about current issues going in our world today but now I’ve realized that I have a voice and it will be heard.
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JYRA GONZALES: My favorite GBLA event would be our Mindfulness Fair of course! Our objective was to teach others how to be mindful and to create a space to relax and have fun -- and we did exactly that! The most challenging part about it was the many obstacles we had to go through to make sure the Mindfulness Fair worked smoothly. We had many last minute changes but we worked as a team to get over them. GBLA has motivated me with my school work and helped me a lot with stress managing and my social abilities. I learned to better communicate with others as well as myself. I also learned that nothing is impossible when us girls are accomplished and have come this far by OURSELVES! |
AUDREY HAMMOND:
Joining Girls Build LA was a great learning experience and added value to my final year of high school. I was first introduced to GBLA my junior year when a friend of mine, who was part of the team, told me about their mission. Hearing her description of the team’s unity, commitment, and determination towards their mission prompted me to join my senior year. Once becoming one of the Girls I, as well as the others, had a responsibility that as a whole affected the development of our team. Managing our VAPA GBLA website has given me the opportunity to practice editing and organizing. In addition, it has also made me learn more about my team. While editing each one the Girls’ portals, I gained insight on their perspectives and also learned some good mindful tips. Being part of a motivating team that contributed to our mission is what made, my favorite event, our Mindfulness Fair such a success! It was a challenge to organize the event and communicate with other clubs and organizations to participate; however, in the end it was all worth it because of the impact we made. Seeing families, students, and staff attend the fair and interacting with booths encouraging positive thinking, engaging in activities, and winning prizes made me proud the event turnout. I am grateful to be with Girls who are encouraging and motivated to change the atmosphere of our school and student’s perspective of life. I have learned that it is one thing to be aware of mindfulness, and another to fully practice it by incorporating mindfulness into our everyday life. And as a result, by doing so, we can truly experience life to its fullest!
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ISABELL HERNANDEZ: My favorite GBLA event was the Mindfulness Fair. I got to see our community come out and support each other in one beautiful event that SO MANY people attended. The challenging part about being in Girls Build was being on the same page with other people. We all had different, amazing ideas for projects and booths but found a way to integrate it all to make something amazing. From being in Girls Build I learned the importance of being consistent and doing your part to add onto a large group project. By doing this project, I realized that I like doing the work to help people because I’m a people person. I realize that serving your community is a thankless job but it doesn’t make it any least rewarding. |
ALEXIS JOHNSON-FOWLKES:
My favorite Girls Build LA events were the stress ball making sessions during lunch. This gave me a chance to really interact with my peers, spread awareness about ways to relieve stress and strengthen my teamwork skills. Also, taking charge was probably one of my biggest challenges in this program. I’m used to going off of my peers’ ideas but that changed especially during the Mindfulness fair. I was able to help control the raffle and information booth which gave me a chance to take charge and instruct people on where to go. The main impact this program made on me was working better with others and taking charge when needed. This program enhanced my teamwork, communication, time management, and leadership skills. Lastly, I learned that I need to continue to improve on working well when I am under pressure and keeping a level head even when I am stressed.
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BRIANA MORALES: Being in Girls Build LA has been one of the best experiences I’ve had in high school. My favorite Girls Build LA event was our third annual Mindfulness Fair. It was so rewarding seeing how successful our fair was after all the hard work that went into it such as networking with outside agencies, collaborating with the majority of our campus’ clubs, and organizing a large scale event. I think the most challenging, but most valuable part of being in GBLA is working in a large team. Our team has carried multiple small and large scaled projects and to make them all successful we all needed to pull some weight. At the end of the day we were able to execute these due to communication. This team has taught me many things but the most impactful is the power of communication. Whether it be with peers, adults, or just myself, I have learned how to better articulate my intentional message. JULIA SARIEVA: My favorite GBLA event was when we visited the freshman seminar classes to teach them about Mindfulness and handling stress by showing them our Prezi. I remember the presentation when I was a freshman and it really helped me throughout stressful situations so I wanted to do the same for the freshman this year. The most challenging part of GBLA was organizing and preparing for our big event, the Mindfulness Fair. It’s pretty ironic how stressful it was planning for a fair that’s about Mindfulness. I got through the challenge by being able to depend on the wonderful girls in the GBLA team. Being in GBLA has impacted me in an extremely positive way! I have been able to handle my stress in school and be more mindful. Being a part of this wonderful group has brought more happiness and light to my life. I have learned a lot of skills such as square breathing which I learned my freshman year and it’s been with my till this day! I have found that I’ve been able to send a lot of positive energy to the people around me. I’ve also been able to help my friends cope with stress and get them to calm down. Girls Build LA has impacted me in a way I won’t forget and I’m so grateful to be a part of an amazing group like this one! |
ALEXIS TORRES:
My favorite Girls Build LA event is probably the stress balls/lunch activities because it’s nice seeing everyone come out and have fun with their friends. I used to come make stress balls when I wasn't in Girls Build LA and I really liked it. The most challenging part for me was probably communication and working on a team. I was always working on things by myself and never really talking to the people in my groups (outside of gbla). I realized that the main part of Girls Build LA is working together to make things happen. I learned to work with people and talk about what we’re working on. Girls Build LA has honestly impacted my mood and my feelings. I learned how to control my mood and talk about my feelings. I never used to talk about my feelings and my window of tolerance was really bad, I was kind of always in the red zone and I used to lash out and freak out. But now I'm in the middle and I'm better at keeping my cool. Being on this team also has taught me patience and how to work with a group of people. I learned that i'm good at managing time and I work well with others.