Two Holy Trinity High School students were recently accepted into the Young Women into Leadership Programme (You Wil), an international leadership program for girls that promotes participation and emphasises equality of opportunity, as well as offering a unique forum for cultural exchange. Paola Ramirez (left) and Breona Valdez (right), both members of the Class of 2023, were selected to participate from an applicant pool of hundreds of young women from around the world.
“I’m pretty excited about this opportunity,” Ramirez said. “I get to learn about others, and I feel honored to interact with other leaders who have a big impact.” Valdez learned about the program from Ramirez, whose older sister participated in You Wil several years earlier. “When [Paola] told me about the program, I thought, ‘wow,’ I can be meeting different kinds of people and developing my skills on how to be a more effective leader,” Valdez said. 
For Ramirez, strong leadership was something she didn’t have to go far to find. “My mother had a big impact on me,” Ramirez said. “Growing up, she’s always been a leader, and taught me that I can do anything if I really want to.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program will be held virtually instead of in Birmingham, UK, where it would normally take place. “I’m committed to meeting new people and learning new things,” Valdez said. “Some people do it for the trip, and while the trip is nice, I want to put myself out there, for me to learn about others and them learn more about me.”
The program is a week-long commitment, scheduled to kickoff in July 2021.
