If you were to ask almost any girl attending Oakdale, Riverbank or Escalon High School what AAUW means to them you would probably get a blank stare and a response like “AAUW – What is that?”
But if you asked OHS alum Rachelle Pabalan that question, her answer might be something like: “Opportunities. That’s the group that gave me the opportunity to attend Tech Trek, a math-science camp at Fresno State the summer before I started eighth grade. During high school they took the Tech Trek graduates on a number of STEM – that’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math related field trips to keep us interested in those areas and to perhaps choose a STEM career, and last spring I had the opportunity to show some current Tech Trek alums around Stanford University where I am enrolled. I polished my public speaking skills by participating in AAUW’s Speech Trek Contest. I was awarded the Oakdale Riverbank Escalon Branch’s four-year scholarship when I graduated from Oakdale High in 2015, and this last spring they gave me a stipend to attend the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) held at the University of Maryland, May 31 to June 3. So that’s what AAUW means to me, providing girls and women opportunities to expand their horizons.”
On Saturday, Sept. 9, Pabalan will have the opportunity to tell about her experiences attending NCCWSL and her plans to implement what she learned on campus this year as she heads back to Stanford University this fall. She will be the guest speaker at the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Oakdale Riverbank Escalon Branch’s annual membership brunch to be held from 9 a.m. to noon in a member’s home. Prospective members in the Oakdale, Riverbank, or Escalon area are invited to attend the meeting to hear Pabalan and to learn about the Branch’s plans and programs for this coming year. Call (209) 847-0271 for information and directions and to make reservations.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. Since 1881, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day – educational, social, economic and political. Graduates holding an associates or higher degree from an institution of the AAUW list of qualified institutions and persons holding an honorary degree are eligible for membership in AAUW. For further information about AAUW, log on to www.aauw.org. Information about AAUW, ORE is at http://ore-ca.aauw.net.
