Newspaper Page Text
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
l\IOW BLOOMING
Athena’s
Warehouse
board members
Kim and Bee
Nguyen, Cross
Keys teacher
Diane Gluck
and student
Brenda Khor,
left to right,
take part in a
civic forum to
promote the
organization.
MELISSA WEINMAN
Athena’s Warehouse makes
girls beautiful inside and out
BY MELISSA WEINMAN
melissaweinman@reporternewspapers.net
What started out as an idea to recycle
formal dresses has morphed into a popular
sc 1 f-cin powermcut organization for girls at
Cross Keys High School in Brookhaven.
Bee Nguyen founded Athena’s Ware
house in 2009, when she realized the
bridesmaids dresses building up in her
closet could find new life as prom dress
es for girls who may not be able to afford
them.
“I was at the age that I had bridesmaids
dresses I was never going to wear again,”
said Nguyen, who is now 31.
Looking for high schools to get in
volved with, Athena’s Warehouse start
ed its Prom Project at Cross Keys High
School. But after getting to know some of
the students at Cross Keys, Nguyen want
ed to do more.
Nguyen said she feels a connection to
the girls at the school. Many come from
immigrant families like her own. Cross
Keys is the most culturally diverse high
school in the state, with students from
65 different countries, according to the
school’s website.
“My parents were refugees and came
over in 1979 after leaving Vietnam,”
Nguyen said. “I understand very well the
immigrant struggle, and that makes a lot
of the girls very relatable.”
Nguyen wanted to expose the girls to
positive female role
models and started a
series of after-school
workshops and events
called “Be Awesome,
Be Aware.” The work
shops focus on issues
for young women,
like body image, pregnancy prevention,
healthy eating and domestic violence.
“I believe a person can change the
path and direction of a young person if
you come into their life at the right time,”
Nguyen said.
For the Prom Project, Athena’s Ware
house collects lightly-used, current formal
dresses. Girls earn their prom dresses by
signing up to volunteer for a community
service project.
This year, Nguyen said Athena’s Ware
house went to East Point Elementary
School to help tutor students.
“We want to really teach them they can
earn something for themselves and have an
experience that’s fun for them and connect
the two things together,” Nguyen said.
Diane Gluck, faculty liason for Athe
na’s Warehouse at Cross Keys, said the
community service day is so popular, even
some guys wanted to participate this year.
“I have girls who don’t need a prom dress
but asked if they could just participate in
community service,” she said.
Gluck said the students at Cross Keys
are very enthusiastic and giving.
“They don’t understand that they are
the recipients, often, of community ser
vice. They want to be the givers. That’s
how cool our students are,” Gluck said.
After the community service, the shop
ping begins. Gluck said it’s fun to watch
the girls light up when they find a dress
they like. “It’s like magic when they find
the perfect dress,” Gluck said.
This year, about 30 girls will be attend
ing Cross Keys’ April 27 prom in dress
es they earned from Athena’s Warehouse,
Nguyen said.
Gluck said she thinks the Prom Proj
ect also teaches girls to budget. “For a lot
of our girls, it’s not that they can’t afford
[a dress], they know this is a smart place
to save money, and they’re very practical,”
Gluck said. “They can
spend money on their
college applications or
other areas.”
Gluck said the
Athena’s Warehouse
seminars have also
been beneficial for the
senior girls who participate.
“It really allows students to have anoth
er connection to an adult to ask questions
and have some guidance,” Gluck said. “It’s
so beneficial for girls to see young, profes
sional and dynamic women.”
Nguyen said each year the program has
grown and students are excited about par
ticipating.
“They come in and they’re excited and
they’re open-minded,” Nguyen said. “We
tend to get a core group of girls who show
up for everything and they love it.”
Do you know an organization or
individual making a difference
in our community? Email
editor@reporternewspapers. net
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