The Ladies of Athena club was created to empower women and was originally started in 1999, but went on a hiatus due to COVID-19. They are now back up and running, and what better time than during Women’s History Month.
It’s been six years since the outbreak, and people have now forgotten or have never even heard of the club.
What first started out as a club that mostly served to empower and support women, is now trying to support and empower all minority groups and backgrounds.
Ladies of Athena has sought to put women’s voices out in the community. To bring empowerment and a place of belonging at a time when women were still being heavily reprimanded and oppressed.
As time has gone on, the club realized there’s more power in unity and now welcomes all kinds of people from different backgrounds.
“It still very much is (female empowerment-based), but now we’re more open to the idea of, okay, there’s a lot of different communities that are minorities that need that empowerment. They need to be out in the community getting those hours, making connections and transferring out. We want that social mobility for so many of our students, not just women,” Vice President Felix said.
Their first club meeting back was a little chaotic since there was some confusion as to where the room for the meeting was located, but the board was able to carry on with the meeting, ultimately communicating their goals and values as a club to their members.
The club wants to help students develop connections and community skills both inside and out of school.
They have future plans to guide and help students learn to be familiarized with scholarship opportunities.
With a few board member positions available, Ladies of Athena sees this as a benefit to anyone interested, as being active in clubs and organizations can always look good on a student’s resume.
“It looks great on your resume and applications when you’re volunteering and being a part of clubs, especially when you’re part of the board members, because it shows leadership,” Andrea Eliassen, the club’s advisor said.
As the year progresses, we’ll see more and more events and activities being held and organized by the Ladies of Athena. Opportunities to participate and get involved with this organization include fundraisers, service hour opportunities and trips.
One event that they do every first Sunday of the month is going down to MacArthur Park to feed people experiencing homelessness with a non-profit organization called A Piece of Sunshine.
The club has many plans for the future, and all while staying rooted in the belief of going out into the world to create a safe and secure space for all individuals.
The environment is welcoming and positive for anyone who wants to join.
The club hosts its meetings every Thursday, from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 pm in room T-2373, at the LAC campus.
