By Serena Zets – 10th Grade, Pittsburgh CAPA

This past summer completely changed how I view the world, thanks to my involvement in a program called GirlGov.  GirlGov is a program in Western PA that helps teen girls get more involved in politics and work together to make a change.  Through GirlGov, I, along with a hundred other girls, traveled to Harrisburg for four days and did everything from workshops to a talent show to shadowing legislators in the state capitol.  To put it simply, it was the best experience of my life.  Not a day goes bye where I don’t think about GirlGov, since it has become ingrained in my everyday life.

Going into the program, I didn’t expect much. I was really nervous to spend four whole days with a hundred girls that I didn’t know.  I was scared that the social pressure would keep me from speaking up and having a voice.  But the exact opposite happened. The community of girls was so supportive, that through the duration of the trip, I slowly talked more and more.  This personal revolution climaxed during the talent show, when I performed a spoken word piece about feminism.  That moment was when it all clicked, I  felt empowered.  When I finished my piece, the applause and love radiating from the girls shocked me.  I have never felt more loved than when I was looking out into the crowd of girls.

Luckily I’ve been able to keep in touch with the girls I became closest too. And in case you couldn’t tell, I can’t wait for next year’s trip.

Serena Zets is a sophomore at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts High School. At CAPA, her discipline is literary arts where she received the opportunity to take part in an introductory journalism course. She is a resident of Squirrel Hill where she bakes, reads, and most importantly sleeps.