This summer, despite all of the major disruption caused by a widespread pandemic, several PCA Upper School students took it upon themselves to develop new relationships within their community. Seniors Ashley Pelham and Brianna Devadoss and Juniors Sydney Brown and Callie Brady started a “Girl Up” chapter in Frisco, Texas.

Ashley Pelham, President and Founder of Girl Up Frisco, said, “Girl Up is more than a female empowerment organization; it amplifies the voices of girls around the world, each with their own diverse background, and seeks to validate their hearts for activism.”

Girl Up Frisco Sponsor Mrs. Angelia Pelham said, “The conversations of the Girl Up team are focused on topics of leadership, community impact and female empowerment.” Mrs. Pelham is a prominent figure in the corporate world and has experienced many situations where gender disparity has come into play.

Brianna Devadoss, Vice President of Girl Up Frisco, said, “We have a great group of girls around the Frisco area. We have 62 members with 16 being PCA Upper School students.” These students have been able to maintain and even strengthen their community amidst the virtual setting enveloping everyday society.

Girl Up Frisco is proactive in hosting Zoom meetings, participating in various donation drives and getting connected with other Girl Up chapters around the world. A notable Zoom meeting was held in August.

“We held a Zoom panel discussion celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote,” said Public Relations lead, Sydney Brown. “The panel featured Texas State Senator Angela Paxton, Texas State Representatives Angie Button and Nicole Collier along with Congressional Candidate Candace Valenzuela.”

The virtual nature of the meeting posed problems for marketing the event efficiently. Sydney Brown said, “Because it was on Zoom, we focused on marketing this event on social media and email. During the panel, we wanted to make it as interactive as possible, so we encouraged people to turn on their cameras and to leave questions and comments in the chatbox.”

Despite the unfavorable nature of being online, the efforts to market this event were successful. The 30 attendees and panelists were able to discuss and celebrate the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.

“I would have loved to have a chance to interact with focused, high-achieving young women who were goal-oriented,” said Girl Up Frisco Sponsor, Mrs. Angelia Pelham. “It’s not always prevalent that you find such maturity, forward-thinking and focus in a group of high school students.”

With the state of disruption we are undergoing during this time, it is important to have a community, and Girl Up Frisco has been able to provide a community for over 60 girls in the Frisco area.

To connect with Girl Up Frisco, email [email protected] and find them on Instagram @girlupfriscotx.