Inaugural Career Girls Class Sets Sights on Leadership, Service

What do young, aspiring Air Force pilots, biomedical engineers, and health industry professionals have in common? They jumped at the chance to be part of the inaugural class of Career Girls of Kern County, a year-long program hosted in partnership with KCSOS’ College and Career Programs. The program focuses on developing compassionate young leaders by blending career advice with character development.

Career Girls is a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls through career exploration and mentorship. The College and Career Programs team tailored the model specifically for Kern County students by integrating local guest speakers, hands-on experiences, and community service.

Twenty-one students gathered at the Future Readiness Center on Saturday for the official launch of the program. Anticipation buzzed in the air as students met Stephanie Baltazar and Carrie Bloxom, the College and Career Programs Coordinators leading Career Girls, and learned about the professional development journey ahead.

“We want students to learn about college and career opportunities, but we also want them to become comfortable walking into a room, introducing themselves, asking questions, communicating with professionals, advocating for themselves, and recognizing the strengths they already bring to the table,” Baltazar said.

The first day set the tone for the year. Girls from across Kern County learned what the program would entail and began laying the groundwork for their community service project. While the girls will learn from guest speakers, the students themselves are responsible for building part of the program. Working together, the girls will identify a need in the community and develop and execute a community service project.

Students broke into two groups to brainstorm their philanthropy projects, discussing which communities they might serve, what roles each student could take in the planning efforts, and what resources they could begin compiling.

Students plan their community service project.

LEFT: A student plays Networking Bingo. RIGHT: College and Career Program Coordinators Stephanie Baltazar and Carrie Bloxom lead the day.

Many of the students are in their first years of high school or final years of middle school, but they share a common eagerness to strengthen their leadership skills and make a difference in their community.

Jessa Hodson, an eighth-grade student, frequently volunteers in the community and is looking forward to the project.

“I just like helping people and getting to know everybody I’m helping,” Hodson said.

The girls also played “networking bingo” to emulate professional networking, seeking out peers they had never met before and connecting one-on-one. They learned fun facts about each other, such as who wants to own a business, who has a driver’s license, and who loves iced coffee.

Arianna Arias, a sophomore in high school, is excited to be part of the inaugural class.

“I’m looking forward to learning new goals in leadership, and also getting to hear other people speak about their experiences and any advice they have,” Arias shared.

Upcoming monthly meeting topics include STEM, Empathy & Volunteerism, Writing, Math & Money, and Mental Health.

For more information about the Career Girls, visit www.careergirls.org.