The instructors and graduates from GRLPWR, front row, from left; Brooklyn Shepherd, Courtney Goodwin and Jaine Reed. Back row, from left: 4-H Youth Development Educator Mindy Wise, Gabi Farmer, Maria Reed, KyLynn Fuller, Cami Brown and Health and Human Services educator Jackie Franks (Photo by Michelle Reed)

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Purdue Extension had A Girl’s Real Life Becomes a Positive Woman’s Role graduation Tuesday, May 24.

GRLPWR is a program designed to help young girls learn various life skills such as: What to wear to a job interview and the difference between business and business casual wear, healthy eating, body image, along with more serious topics of drug abuse prevention and teen pregnancy.

The sessions also teach the girls about manners and etiquette. The graduation celebration finished at Mad Anthony’s Lake City Tap House, Warsaw, where certificates of completion were given to the girls.

GRLPWR is eight sessions that are two hours long over a six-week period. After the girls graduate, they have the option of coming back and doing the program again or they can get into 4-H.

Courtney Goodwin, who attends Lakeview Middle School, said she felt, “free to say what’s on my mind because they [other girls] won’t tell anyone.” Goodwin said she would definitely return when the program starts again.

Another girl, Cami Brown, who is homeschooled, said her favorite part of the program was the first night when she met everyone. She said, “I met people I never would have because of being homeschooled.” Brown is a fourth year 4-H member.

The overall consensus from the girls about what they will take away from this program are the friendships made.