Getting to volunteer at the It Girls Overnight Retreat has always been fun for me, especially after seeing how different it is since I was an It Girl my senior year of high school, way back in 2015. Coming into this year’s It Girls Retreat as a peer advisor really gave me a different perspective.
Starting Off the It Girls Retreat
Coming in the morning, I was expecting the girls to be tired, quiet, and shy – just like I was when I participated in this. It’s an early morning, surrounded by people you don’t know on a college campus that most of them aren’t familiar with. However, they were all lively and talkative, asking me things like why I chose Syracuse University, why I chose the iSchool, and what I plan to do with an information management and technology degree. It was so nice to see how genuinely excited they were to not only be here at Syracuse, but also to learn more about the iSchool and what they could do in the future. It was amazing to hear every girls unique perspective along with their excitement and curiosity about relationship between tech and the iSchool.
Why I Love Volunteering for It Girls
The best part of volunteering at the retreat was working with the girls during the Late Night Challenge. For the Late Night Challenge, they were given the task to create fashion designs based off math equations. This task was made so they could see how math plays a role in everything, even down to fashion. At this point of the day, they had already been going for so long. I could see that they were starting to get tired.
As they worked on their designs with their partners, they asked if we could play music. Once we got the music started, the entire mood in the room shifted. Suddenly, the room was full of singing and laughter and you could see how much fun they were having. It reminded me of my time as an It Girl and why I wanted to come back and be a part of moments like those.
Why YOU Should Volunteer for It Girls!
Volunteering at this retreat always reminds me of how important it is to have events like this. It shows girls what it’s actually like working in information technology and that there are other girls like them in the same field. Coming to this retreat was one of the deciding factors for my college decision and I love that I can try to make that same impact for girls participating in it now. Whether you’re an It Girl alum or just an iSchool student, it’s always great to help inspire the girls who want to work in IT.