Photos by Sean Hollins; View Girls Can! at:
See video in our Video Spotlight on the Home Page!
Inset group shot: From Seated from left: Jazmyn Webb, Claire Khabeiry, Shakira Sykes, Shamya Banks, Natasha Mahonie, Asia Taylor; Standing from left: Rickelle Portes, Aliah Ward, Shadae Hillsman, Syann Hollins, Sierra Ward, Sasha Hollins, and founder Sonya Bernard-Hollins
KALAMAZOO (MICH.)- The world of media just received 12 more reporters–and they haven’t gone to college yet. Girls of the Tate-Stone Travel Writers Academy unveiled the 1st Girls Can! Magazine to more than 100 supporters who packed into the historic Ladies’ Library on Oct. 4th for the Art Hop-focused reception. After a rousing standing ovation, the girls distributed the magazines to the audience who were the first to see their new issue sponsored by MLive Media Group. The magazines, a project of Community Voices, are available throughout the community where free publications are distributed.
Student participants included: Claire Khabeiry, Natasha Mahonie, Asia Taylor, Makaila Morris, Sierra Ward, Shakira Sykes, Shadae Hillsman, all of Kalamazoo Public Schools; Leigha Marzette of Portage Public Schools;Â Rickelle Portes and Shamya Banks of Battle Creek Public Schools; and Syann Hollins of Forest Charter Academy of Kalamazoo. Honorary Ambassadors included Aliah Ward and Sasha Hollins.
The reception was sponsored by The Links, Inc., and moderated by members of the Academy, Claire Khabeiry and Natasha Mahonie. The two have been a member of the Merze Tate Travel Club (merzetate.com) since 2009. The Travel Club began in 2008 by Sonya Bernard-Hollins with a $1,000 grant from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. Hollins’ inspiration was a travel club founded in 1928 by Merze Tate, a Michigan native, WMU graduate, and first African American to graduate from Oxford University among many other firsts. Participants of Hollins’ travel club met two Saturdays each month to travel throughout their community, state, and Midwest, learning more about inspirational people and exploring careers and producing writings and video about their experiences.
Lucinda Hinsdale Stone and her husband, James, helped establish Kalamazoo College. In addition, Lucinda helped formulate dozens of women’s organizations during the mid-1800s; one of those being the Ladies’ Library in Kalamazoo (the oldest women’s organization in the state of Michigan). Stone took college-age girls to Europe to study abroad, and helped the first female student of the University of Michigan enroll in classes after years of roadblocks. (Lucinda Stone) Tate and Stone both dedicated their lives to uplifting women in the areas of education and world travel. Honoring the two in this program was a fitting way to collaborate with the Ladies’ Library Association whose many members volunteered more than 100 hours working to make the program a success. Marge Kars, first vice president of LLA, was co-director of this collaborative endeavor.
Dozens of community members and businesses joined forces to contribute the more than $11,000 needed to provide a cost-free experience for the 12 girls of the pilot program who lived on Kalamazoo College’s campus for one week (July 8-16). During their residency they received daily media training, traveled to places such as the Michigan Supreme Court Hall of Justice, and flew in planes at the Air Zoo.
Women from throughout the community also joined in to conduct hands-on workshops on the criminal justice system, financial planning, and world travel. International students of Kalamazoo College treated the girls to an Ice Cream Social and shared their experiences coming to the United States and the challenges of learning to speak English while taking college courses.
Students were awarded for their hard work with awards. High honor awards were presented to:
Golden Voice Award– Sierra Ward; sponsored by Hammond Roto-Finish * Lewis Walker Institute;
Golden Pen Award– Claire Khabeiry; sponsored by Taylor Wilson Thompson Family Fund* Women’s Lifestyle Magazine;
Golden Lens Award-Shadae Hillsman; sponsored by the Lewis Walker Institute* The Links Inc.
Honorary Editors: Natasha Mahonie *Cheryl Wright, and Makalia Morris*Vineyard Outreach Ministries; sponsored by Community Voices
Jr. Ambassadors: Sasha Hollins and Aliyah Ward
Other student awards were presented to:
Shamya Banks-Best Laugh*Macedonia Baptist Church
Syann Hollins-Most Prompt*Hammond Roto-Finish
Leigha Marzette-Most Focused*Tyler Wilson Thompson Fund
Rickelle Portes-Most Likely to Succeed*Macedonia Baptist Church
Shakira Sykes- Best Personality *Catherine Watson
Asia Taylor-Best Friend*Sandra Williams
Jazmyn Webb-Most Free Spirited*The Hardy Family
*Denotes the students’ program sponsor
The Tate-Stone Travel Writers Academy was formed this past summer as a collaboration with the Ladies’ Library Association, and Black Arts and Cultural Center. Major sponsors include: Hammond Roto-Finish, Lewis Walker Institute (Western Michigan University), Taylor Wilson Thompson Family Fund, and MLive Media Group. Students also received financial support from sponsors, which include local businesses, churches, outreach organizations, and family. (See list below)
Applications for next year’s Tate-Stone Travel Writers Academy will be available soon! For more information, contact Sonya Hollins at: 269-365-4019, or email: editor@comvoicesonline.com.
