By JORIE MEIL – The annual ATHENA luncheon, hosted by the IHS ATHENA club, was held at rustic lodge on Friday February 22. At the luncheon, ATHENA girls met with other students from other ATHENA clubs in the area and women from the community to discuss this year’s theme; “Dancing in the Rain: Overcoming personal and professional challenges.”

The IHS students were joined by the Marion Center High School ATHENA club and the Blairsville Elementary ATHENA club as well as influential women in the community.  IHS sophomore Aviana Struzzi commented, “I had a very good experience attending this year’s Athena Luncheon. I learned a lot about what large roles women play in our community and around the world. It was really nice to meet and socialize with some upstanding members in our community!”

 ATHENA is a female leadership club that has chapters all over the country. ATHENA empowers girls to do good for others. The clubs are based off of a leadership model composed of eight distinct tributes. “Living authentically, learning constantly, advocating fiercely, acting courageously, fostering collaboration, building relationships, giving back and celebrating.” The girls in ATHENA use these as bases for their activities and projects.

The luncheon featured three speakers. The first speaker, Ms. Jenn Clark shared a message of dealing with personal challenges in life and how to grow from them. The second speaker, Mrs. Kay Smith spoke to the room about being yourself and the importance of networking. The third and final speaker was Dr. Carolyn Princes who spoke about the need for diversity, hard work, and knowing how and when to be in charge. Each speaker incorporated the theme into their speech to further the discussions at the luncheon.

“The ATHENA luncheon was fantastic as always. The speakers brought so much wisdom and advice with them to the luncheon. So many powerful connections are made during the luncheon, and it teaches young women how to plan and attend professional events,” expressed junior ATHENA member Alyssa McLaine.

The IHS club has been working hard for months to plan the luncheon. They picked the venue, menu, handled invitations and RSVPs, and created programs. The other clubs also contributed. MC handled the centerpieces and BV created the name tags.

This year’s luncheon was an incredible success and a great opportunity for all who attended.

Photo by Avery Olenchick

ATHENA officers (from left to right) juniors Jannah Farag, Amanda Iandiorio, Jorie Meil, and Alyssa McLaine participated in the annual luncheon.