LEADERSHIP | FITNESS | EMPOWERMENT
Wellfit Girls 2017-2018 Annual Report
L EA D ER S H I P FI T NES S E M P OW E R M EN T
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W E LL FI T G IR LS
Message from the Executive Director Dear Partners and Supporters, At Wellfit Girls, we strive to build a safe and supportive environment for teen girls to cultivate their unique voices and develop their own leadership style. We are committed to their individual success and the success of the group. We give them the tools to let go of negative self-talk and fears that hold them back from their greatness and potential to make a difference in the world. We empower them to have difficult conversations, to do something bigger than themselves and most importantly to connect with their peers and ultimately themselves. With your support, we have proudly graduated more than 70 Wellfit Girls from our leadership, fitness and empowerment program. Over the past five years, we have relied heavily on our volunteers, corporate sponsors, community partners and donors to ensure we serve girls from all socioeconomic backgrounds who are at risk of meeting their full potential. At Wellfit Girls, we believe that a holistic approach of intentional leadership and fitness training, small group settings and a challenging expedition are what allows the girls to step out of their comfort zones, turn obstacles into opportunities, disconnect from the known, connect with the unknown and increase selfconfidence all while creating lifelong friendships. We are proud to present in this year’s Annual Report data showing the positive effect Wellfit Girls has on relationships with adults and peers, resiliencies and learning and school engagement. As we reflect back on our fiscal year 2017-2018, we are thrilled to know our program is changing lives. When girls feel empowered, they have greater confidence and success. It also makes our world a better place. With your support, we are investing in our future leaders and creating strong, confident women with big goals. Thank you for believing in our mission! Sincerely,
Colby Hazewinkel Executive Director AN N UA L REP ORT 2017-20 1 8
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OUR M IS SIO N To inspire, challenge and empower teen girls to climb high in all areas of life through transformational leadership programs.
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“My biggest takeaway from
“I could never adequately
“I used to doubt myself a
this program was my ability
express
profound
lot and almost never do
to use my voice and open up
appreciation
to
Wellfit
things to my true potential.
to others. Coming into this
Girls
opportunity
Going through Wellfit Girls
program, I was very reserved
and experience given to
has made such a positive
and had a hard time opening
my daughter. After several
impact on my life! Once I let
up. I am so glad I was able
weeks back from Peru, she is
go of my self-doubt I was
to create a better version of
still recalling her love of the
able to climb two freaking
myself. I really recommend
program, her experiences
mountains! Wellfit Girls has
Wellfit Girls.”
in Peru and she enjoys the
helped me realize I am a
Avery
friendships she has made.
powerful person.”
Wellfit Girls 2018 Naples High School
position
my
for the
She applied for a leadership in
one
of
her
activities, something that six months ago, she wouldn’t have done. Whether or not
Elaine Wellfit Girls 2018 PACE Center for Girls Lee County
she is chosen is minor, that she
stepped
beyond
is
major!”
Lorel Martens Mother of Elena, Wellfit Girls 2018, Barron Collier High School
Read more testimonials on our website at wellfitgirls.org
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About Wellfit Girls Wellfit Girls is a Naples, FL-based 501(c)(3) organization that operates in Collier and Lee Counties. Wellfit Girls was founded in 2014, received 501(c)(3) designation in 2015, and formally expanded into Lee County in 2017. The organization offers a fitness and leadership-based curriculum for high school girls who are in-need and at-risk to meet their full potential. The curriculum is designed to offer a combination of physical, mental, and interpersonal challenges, including conflict resolution, vision and goal-setting, leadership, and improved body image, to inspire girls to step out of their comfort zone and flourish as confident and empowered leaders. Personal training, running, yoga, and nutrition coaching are intentionally incorporated into the curriculum to teach a healthy lifestyle, the connection between mind, body, and spirit, body alignment posture and self-presentation skills.
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Who Are The Wellfit Girls Program participants are academically capable teenage girls from area high schools in Collier and Lee Counties. Participants have faced demonstrated challenges ranging from extreme poverty to secondary language acquisition to significant wellness and fitness deficiencies, anxiety or depression. Moreover, teenage girls in general are known to struggle with long-term personal difficulties related to feelings of self-worth and belonging. Girls apply to Wellfit Girls and are selected by a committee of executive staff and board representation based on their need, strengths, and challenges. While there is the opportunity for girls to fundraise meaningful portions of their program fees, our bigger vision is to be able to offer scholarships to ensure that no girls need be turned away from the opportunity to be exposed to this incredibly powerful curriculum. To date, a large majority of Wellfit Girls participants have received some scholarship support. Participating girls, as a function of their involvement, are required to personally fundraise a percentage of the costs; this is an intentional piece of the curriculum that prioritizes accountability, leadership, and social entrepreneurship. We have an active alumni program that offers follow-on opportunities for service events, bi-weekly continuing exposure to program leaders, and additional chances for adventure-based experiential learning. Wellfit Girls connects teen girls from across a broad spectrum of socioeconomic backgrounds, regional geographies, and personal experiences, and even in our relatively short organizational history we can be confident in the long-term benefits of the evidence-backed curriculum and the programmatic family that results.
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The Expedition The purpose of the Wellfit Girls empowerment curriculum is to prepare girls with a Wellfit Expedition Mentality so they become mentally, physically and emotionally ready for a highly challenging and highly rewarding final expedition to Peru where they will participate in a community service project, be pushed beyond their comfort zone, trek above 15,000 feet and visit Machu Picchu. Throughout the five-month leadership program, we integrate wellness, fitness, yoga and intentional leadership training to prepare the girls for the final expedition. Throughout, lessons are incorporated to teach the girls how to show up in community, how to develop their unique voice, and how to use their voice powerfully in their personal lives and in their community. Our intentional leadership programs create incremental challenges that allow them to build confidence and empowerment through their successes at different phases of the program. In June 2018, 19 girls from Lee and Collier County put their leadership and fitness skills to the test through adventure based experiential learning. The girls embarked on a ten-day cultural exchange and trek of a lifetime in Peru. Upon arriving in Cusco, they are immersed into the daily life and traditions of the culture. Over the course of the expedition the girls have to adapt to a new culture, altitude, extreme temperature changes, physical challenges and more. They toured the city of Cusco, participated in a community service project and ventured to sacred sites. They visited a local community and learned, first-hand, about the conditions in which the Peruvian children and their families live. While in Peru, the girls work directly with Peru’s Challenge, a non-profit with the mission to create sustainable communities outside of Cusco. This year for our service project we helped build the foundation of a greenhouse for a local family. After the service project, the girls join together for a challenging trek along the Salkantay Trail. The girls trekked more than 40 miles over the course of 4 days (Altitude: 15,200 ft.) before visiting Machu Picchu.
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The need for
E M P OWERMEN T
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98% 98% of girls feel there is an immense pressure from external sources to look a certain way.
7 in 10 girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with family and friends.
92% 1 in 4 girls have depression, eating disorders, cutting or other mental/ emotional disorders. Others report constant anxiety and sleep deprivation.
5% 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women.
92% of teen girls would like to change something about the way they look, with body weight ranking the highest.
42 Women 42 women have served as Governor in the United States since its founding. That is compared to the 2,300 men that have served in that position.
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Who We Serve Wellfit Girls Participants - County CO UNT Y
# OF G I RL S
Collier County
40
Lee County
31
TOTAL
71
Scholarship Breakdown S CH O LARS H IP
# OF G I RL S
Full Scholarship
42
Partial Scholarship
19
FULL OR PA RT IA L
No Scholarship
10
S CHOL ARS H IP
TOTAL
71
86%
Lee County - School Breakdown S CH OO L
# OF G I RL S
Fort Myers High School
12
Estero High School
10
PACE
7
Other
2
TOTAL
31
Collier County - School Breakdown
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SC H OOL
# O F GI RL S
Naples High School
10
Barron Collier High School
8
CSN, St. John Neumann, Seacrest
8
Lely, Lorenzo Walker, Palmetto Ridge
6
Gulf Coast High School
4
Other
4
TOTAL
40
Wellfit Girls Grade Breakdown GRAD E
# O F GIRL S
9th Grade
17
10 Grade
17
11th Grade
15
12 Grade
18
th
th
6% 24% 25%
24% 21%
Other
4
TOTAL
71
1%
4%
Wellfit Girls Race Breakdown RACE
# O F GIR LS
African American
3
White, Caucasian
40
Multi-Racial
9
Asian
1
Latino or Hispanic
18
TOTAL
71
25% 56% 13%
>> “At the beginning of this program I was very shy and had low self confidence but now because of this program I have learned to be more outgoing and have gained self confidence.” A N D R EA – PALM ETTO RI DG E
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Our Impact Since our founding in 2014, more than 70 girls have benefitted from Wellfit Girls. In that time, we have expanded our core program from Collier County to include Lee County, secured key community partnerships including United Way of Lee County, Fort Myers High School and PACE Lee County and have established the viability and impact of the program. We are currently exploring program expansion with additional community partners in Collier County. Girls who successfully complete the curriculum are more likely to: assume leadership roles in their schools, achieve successful college matriculation, seek out volunteer engagement, demonstrate long-term commitment to physical wellness and fitness, display improved public speaking and other metrics related to self-confidence, and maintain better relationships with peers and adults. Formal assessments indicate improvements in measures related to trust, empathy, emotional control, academic motivation, and school bonding, all measures of improved resiliency. Studies show that resiliency is a better indicator of longterm success than IQ.
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2018 Demographic Data 9th Grade = 15.8% 10th Grade = 26.3% 11th Grade = 31.6% 12th Grade= 26.3% White, Caucasian (non-Hispanic) = 57.9% Latino or Hispanic = 26.3% Multi-Racial = 10.5% African-American/Black = 5.3% Collier County = 57.9% Lee County = 42.1%
Holistic Student Assessment-Retrospective The Holistic Student Assessment-Retrospective (HSA-R) was designed PEAR Institute in partnership with McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical The data outlined below provides a summary of student’s perceived in social-emotional skills at the end of the program as compared to the the program.
by The School. growth start of
The HSA-R prompts participants to think about how you feel at the end of the program compared to the beginning of the program and uses a 5-point scale (1 = Much less than before, 3= About the same, 5= Much more than before) to rate the extent to which their thoughts and feelings have changed since starting Wellfit Girls.
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Key Findings Overall, Wellfit Girls 2018 participants self-reported statistically positive change (i.e., mean scores significantly greater than 3 = “about the same”) on all 14 of the HSA-R scales. Our high-quality fitness and leadership programs have demonstrated success and results:
•
100% of participants report that as a result of Wellfit Girls they are more active and have more optimism.
•
94.7% of participants report they are more assertive as a result of their experience in Wellfit Girls, meaning they feel they have more voice and choice and more self-control to negotiate rules, roles and boundaries.
•
89.5% of participants report a positive improvement in relationships with peers and adults as a result of their experience in the program.
•
100% of participants report a positive change in perseverance and reflection, meaning they can now make sense of their own experience, emotions, and thoughts to create a sense of identity, as a result of their participation in the program. New studies report that resiliencies such as perseverance are better indicators of future success than IQ and SAT scores.
RESILIENCES: AVERAGE RETROSPECTIVE RESPONSES OVERALL Much More
5
RESILIENCES: PERCENT POSITIVE CHANGE Positive Percentage Change 100.0% 90.0%
*4.26
4
*3.74
*3.91
*4.22 *3.98 *4.08 *3.66
80.0% 70.0% 60.0%
About the Same
3
50.0%
100.0
40.0%
100.0 100.0
94.7 84.2
84.2
84.2
30.0%
2
20.0% 10.0%
W E LL FI T G IR LS
st pa th Re y fle ct io n O pt im ism
Tr u
Em
re i O
ot io
n io
Em
Ac t
n
nt at io
st pa th y Re fle ct io n O pt im ism
Tr u
Em
n Co As nt ro se l rti ve ne ss n
re i O n
ot io
Em
io Ac t
16
n Co As nt se ro l rti ve ne ss
1.0%
1 nt at io
Much Less
RELATIONSHIPS: AVERAGE RETROSPECTIVE RESPONSES OVERALL
RELATIONSHIPS: PERCENT POSITIVE CHANGE Positive Percentage Change
Much More
5
100.0%
4
90.0%
*4.21
*4.05
80.0% 70.0% 60.0%
About the Same
3
50.0%
89.5
89.5
Peers
Adults
40.0% 30.0%
2
20.0% 10.0%
Much Less
1
1.0% Relationships with Peers
Relationships with Adults
LEARNING & SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT: AVERAGE RETROSPECTIVE RESPONSES OVERALL
LEARNING & SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT: PERCENT POSITIVE CHANGE Positive Percentage Change
Much More
5
100.0% 90.0%
*4.29
*4.05
4
*4.28
80.0%
*4.04
70.0%
*3.41 About the Same
60.0%
100.0
50.0%
3
100.0
100.0
94.7
40.0%
68.4
30.0%
2
20.0% 10.0%
1
ng se ve ra nc e Ac M a ot de iv m at i Sc io c n ho ol Bo nd in g
nk i
Pe r
hi
iti
ca
lT
In te re st g Cr
in rn Le a
ce A M ca ot de iv m at i Sc io c n ho ol Bo nd in g
se ve ra n
hi
nk i
Pe r
ca lT
iti Cr
rn in
g
In te re s
t
ng
1.0%
Le a
Much Less
AN N UA L REP ORT 2017-20 1 8
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The Leadership Team L to R: Jill Wheeler, Colby Hazewinkel, Rio DeArmond, Brooke Spencer, Lianne Martin, Amy Voelkl
2017 - 2018 Board Justine Bowker, The Budd Group
Colby Hazewinkel*, Wellfit Girls
Scott Brown, Publix
Cotrenia Hood, Steal Bleu President
Christy Carpenter, Gallagher Lutgert Insurance Secretary
Magen Kellam, Magen E. Kellam Attorney at Law
Toya Felston, Fit Sistaz Fort Myers
Andrew Miranti*, The Village School
Beverly Feagin, Retired Treasurer
Rob Wilson, Enterprise
Debi Grilo, Practice Yoga
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W E LL FI T G IR LS
Jill Wheeler*, Wellfit Institute *founding board members
In-Kind Donors + Community Partners Allegra Marketing
Kunjani Craft Coffee & Gallery
Around the Clock Fitness
Laces of Love
Bella Diva Fitness
lululemon
Bob Newman Photography
Neubek Photographers
C1B1 Communications
North Collier Regional Park
Delicious Raw
PACE Center for Girls, Lee County
Dragon Fly Yoga & Pilates
Peru’s Challenge
Elephant Creative Co.
Practice Yoga
Eva’s Closet
Priority Marketing
Florida Weekly
Publix
Fort Myers High School
Sign Gypsies – Naples
Gulf Coast Runners
William Meyers Soups
Gulfshore Life Magazine
Venue Naples
House of Gaia Jumpanzee
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Volunteers Alex Inniss, WG ’17
Lena Mendoza, WG ’17
Allison Durian
Lianne Martin
Alize Isales, WG ’17
Lilly Metsch, WG ’17
Avorie Anderson, WG ‘17
Lindy Smith
Bella Musico, WG ’17
Litzy Lerma, WG ‘16
Bob Newman
Lorel Martens
Breanna Scott
Mary Turner
Brooke Spencer
Matt and Melissa Neubek
Cari Jones
Meghan Woddy
Caroline Ridgway
Melissa Workinger
Chase Grimes
Natalia Hester
Glenda Inniss
Peyton Rhodes, WG ’17
Helena Russano, WG ‘17
Riley Zuccarello, WG ’14
Holly Kistler
Sean Nolan
Jake Hazewinkel
Sima Muneer, WG ’17
Jamie Kirschner
Suzy Goldberg
Joel Waltzer
Therese Benson
Justin Moomaw
Zya Crawford, WG ‘17
Justine Bowker Kendall Klein, WG ‘14 Laura DalSanto
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Corporate Sponsors + Donors California Pizza Kitchen
Med Express Urgent Care
DeAngelis Diamond Construction
Neubek Photographers
Executive Electronics
Prestige Insurance Consultants
Ficarra Design Studios
Publix – Fort Myers Beach
FineMark National Bank & Trust
Rouse Style, LLC
HBK
Tacos & Tequila Cantina
Insurance Source of Naples
To the Moon Boutique
Jason’s Deli
Vineyard Vines
Lee Health Foundation
Wren and Roch
MarkIT Group
ZMZLM 2, LLC (Public House)
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Community Grants Allegra FootPrint Fund Award
Jones Family Foundation
Collier County Women’s Bar Association
Swinging with Purpose
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
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United Way of Lee County
The Jane Waltzer Wellfit Scholarship
Congratulations to Alexa Bustamante, the first recipient of The Jane Waltzer Wellfit Scholarship. The Jane Waltzer Wellfit Scholarship, founded by her husband and three daughters in 2018, is awarded to one Wellfit Girl each year who represents and exemplifies the true characteristics Jane Waltzer embodied. The committee selected Alexa to be the recipient because of her strength, determination, friendship and generosity.
“Before Wellfit Girls I was shy, insecure and always felt alone. I wasn’t sure what my purpose in life was. I wasn’t even sure there was one. I wanted so badly to have friends who loved me for who I was, however I didn’t know how to make those friends. During Wellfit Girls I learned how to be there for others and be a friend. I learned how to not only love and accept others but how to love and accept myself. The trip to Peru showed me how much I can impact others and the endless possibilities that are available to me once I step out of my comfort zone and take a chance. I am so grateful for Wellfit Girls. I am surrounded by friends who love me for who I am. I would recommend this program to any girl, no matter what journey in life she is on.” A LEXA B U STAMAN TE – LO REN ZO WALK E R
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$10,000 + Paulette P. Kempfer Family Fund Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation Tacos & Tequila Cantina >> Tacos and Tequila Cantina presents Wellfit Girls with a check for $2,383 on Giving Tuesday, November 28, 2017. Every quarter Tacos & Tequila presents Wellfit Girls with proceeds from the Wellfit Girls Taco. For every taco sold, Wellfit Girls receives $1. Since the beginning of this partnership, Wellfit Girls has received more than $10,000.
$5,000-$9,999
$2,500-$4,999
Ficarra Design Studios
Les Bolstad III
Jones Family Foundation
Collier County Women’s Bar Association
Lee Health Foundation
Gar Duke
Martha Meyers
FineMark National Bank & Trust
Norma June Foundation
Jason’s Deli
Deborah O’Brien
Jill Orstad
United Way of Lee County
Swinging with Purpose
Joel Waltzer
UBS*
<< Jill Orstad presents Wellfit Girls with a $3,000 check on June 20, 2018 after a donation yoga class to help fund a girl for 2019.
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*corporate match
$1,000-$2,499 Anonymous
Beverly Feagin
Neubek Photographers
Betty Blackwell
Regina Heldreth
Elizabeth Rappaport
Christy Carpenter
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Brooke Spencer
DeAngelis Diamond Construction Haze Consulting, LLC
Simone Lutgert
Michele Weeden Rob Wilson
Lianne and Larry Martin
$500-$999 Bernie Beckman
Chuck and Heidi Holley
Publix
Michelle Church
Insurance Source of Naples
Jerome Rappaport Jr.
Executive Electronics
Jerry Langevin
Stephanie Riley
B.J. Ferriel
Med Express Urgent Care
Katherine Simpson
Karen French
Megan DiPiero Photography, LLC
Vineyard Vines Retail, LLC
HBK CPAs & Consultants
Wren and Roch, Inc.
Prestige Insurance
$250-$499 California Pizza Kitchen
Don and Lynn Dwyer
Charlotte Martin
The Britton Family
Janette and Malcom Eddy
Declan and Emerson Carr
Kaye Family Foundation
Maureen and Roger Parkinson
Eileen Collins
Kim Keyer-Scott
Kathy and David Dillon
Kunjani Craft Coffee & Gallery
Wanda Perry Thomas Robertson Loretta Smith
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Financial Summary FUN DI N G BY S O URC E
AMOUN T
Fundraising Events
$ 67, 932 .4 9
Individual Donations
$ 41 , 972 .4 8
Program Income
$37, 9 9 6. 1 2
Grants
$ 25 ,72 6. 0 2
Corporate Sponsorship
$ 26, 8 68. 99
Gift In-Kind Donations
$ 42 , 5 2 8. 0 0
Other
$ 1 5 , 1 91 . 65
TOTA L RE VE N UE
$2 52 , 21 5 .75
F UN DRA IS IN G EVEN T REV EN UE
AMOUN T
Annual Speaker Series
$2 8 , 393. 35
Souper Bowl
$ 1 5 , 2 25 . 0 0
#GivingTuesday
$ 1 0 , 5 57. 8 7
Hop to the Top 5K
$ 8 , 1 46. 30
Misc. Events
$ 5 , 60 9. 97
TOTAL E V EN T R EV E NU E
$6 7, 9 32 .4 9
USE O F FUN D S
Program Services
16.1%
Fundraising
19.3% 64.6%
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Administrative & General
Event Photos
A N NUA L I NS P I R ED S P E AK ER S ER IES FE AT UR I N G CHES SY P R O UT
A N NUA L S OU P ER B OWL EV ENT
A N NUA L S O UP ER B OWL EVEN T
A N NUA L IN SP IR ED SP EA KER S ER IES F EAT U R IN G C H ESSY P RO UT
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Annual Hop to the Top 5K
A N NUAL HO P TO THE TO P 5 K
A NN UA L H O P TO T H E TO P 5 K A NN UA L H O P TO T H E TO P 5 K
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Wellfit Girls Alumnae Avorie Anderson | WG 17 | Lely High School* Madison Artman-Breitung | WG 18 | Fort Myers High School | University of Central Florida Isabel Arroyo | WG 16 | Estero High School | Florida Southwestern State College Morgan Bailey | WG 18 | Fort Myers High School | University of Central Florida Destiny Baker | WG 17 | PACE Lee County* Amber Barrack | WG 17 | Fort Myers High School | Florida Southwestern State College Destiny Billman | WG 17 | PACE Lee County* Jerrica Bornelus | WG 17 | Fort Myers High School | University of Central Florida Lily Borror | WG 17 | Fort Myers High School | Florida State University Emma Bryant | WG 16 | Barron Collier High School | Florida State University Alexis Buhelos | WG 14 | Lely High School | University of Central Florida Kathryn Burmeister | WG 16 | St. John Neumann | Florida State University Alexa Bustamante | WG 18 | Lorenzo Walker Technical High School* Jessica Caudillo | WG 18 | Naples High School* Mia Cori | WG 15 | Lorenzo Walker Technical School | Florida Southwestern State College Avery Craig | WG 18 | Naples High School* Zya Crawford | WG 17 | Gulf Coast High School | Florida Southern College Stevie Curcio | WG 18 | Naples High School * Myah Daniels | WG 17 | PACE Lee County* Courtney Edwards | WG 15 | Naples High School** Cassandria Emmerich | WG 15 | Palm Acres Charter School** Jacqueline Espinoza | WG 16 | South Fort Myers High School* Guadalupe Estala | WG 14 | Estero High School | U.S. Army Bella Falbo | WG 16 | Naples High School | Florida State University Jordan Farrell | WG 18 | Fort Myers High School | University of Miami (FL) Natalie Finazzo | WG 15 | Barron Collier High School | Florida Gulf Coast University
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Wellfit Girls Alumnae Maria Gomez | WG 18 | Fort Myers High School | Emory University Natalie Gottschalk | WG 15 | Home School** Karla Gures | WG 18 | Fort Myers High School* Eloisa Guerrero | WG 14 | Estero High School | U.S. Army Maria Guerrero | WG 14 | Estero High School | U.S. Army Kristen Hedgpeth | WG 15 | Gulf Coast High School | USF Alex Inniss | WG 17 | Barron Collier High School | Florida Gulf Coast University Alize Isales | WG 17 | PACE Lee County* Dasia Jackson | WG 18 | PACE Lee County* Brooke Jaffe | WG 18 | CSN* Elaine Johnson | WG 18 | PACE Lee County* Kendall Klein | WG 14 | Barron Collier High School* Daisy Leon | WG 14 | Estero High School | Florida Southwestern State College Litzy Lerma | WG 16 | Estero High School* Andrea Luviano | WG 18 | Palmetto Ridge | Florida Gulf Coast University Elena Martens | WG 18 | Barron Collier High School* Alivia Massoll | WG 18 | CSN* Carly McGovern | WG 18 | Fort Myers High School* Mara McKinney | WG 17 | Pace Lee County* Lena Mendoza | WG 17 | Fort Myers High School | Florida Southwestern State College Lilly Metsch | WG 17 | Barron Collier* Sima Muneer | WG 17 | Fort Myers High School** Bella Musico | WG 17 | Naples High School* Evelyn Pacheco | WG 17 | Estero High School | Florida Southwestern State College Olivia Palermo | WG 15 | Naples High School | University of Central Florida Sofia Ramallo | WG 16 | Barron Collier High School | Florida Gulf Coast University
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Wellfit Girls Alumnae Payton Rhodes | WG 17 | CSN | University of Tennessee Helena Russano | WG 17 | Barron Collier High School* Gina Schallenkamp | WG 16 | Barron Collier High School* Paige Schallenkamp | WG 16 | Barron Collier High School | Florida Gulf Coast University Stephanie Simon | WG 15 | Lely High School** Abby Sinberg | WG 18 | CSN* Brittney Stanley | WG 17 | Fort Myers High School | Florida A&M University Sara Sullivan | WG 18 | Naples High School* Trixie Szilagyi | WG 15 | Naples High School | University of Tampa Ashley Tamson | WG 16 | Barron Collier High School* Selena Tello | WG 14 | Estero High School** Andrea Valdez | WG 14 | Estero High School** Angelica Valdez | WG 14 | Estero High School** Rachel Waltzer | WG 16 | Barron Collier High School | University of Michigan Olivia Westervelt | WG 17 | Seacrest Country Day School* Rachelle Westervelt | WG 17 | Seacrest Country Day School | University of Florida Stephanie Whittaker | WG 17 | Naples High School* Lauren Wolkoff | WG 18 | Gulf Coast High School* Riley Zuccarello | WG 14 | Gulf Coast High School | Florida State University *DENOTES ALUMN A I S STIL L IN H IG H S C HO OL **DE NOT ES ALUMN A G RAD UATED FR OM H IG H SC H OOL
100%
83%
graduated high school
went on to college/ university or armed forces
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>> Alumni BBQ in July 2017 >> “Wellfit Girls helped spark a lot of different goals in my life. Emotionally, physically and traveling wise! Since my journey a couple years back I have really embraced a lot of different things like working out and traveling. Any chance I get to travel somewhere I take it. I save my money just to travel. Additionally, my fitness goals... it has been about a year and I’ve lost 55 pounds!! I’m taking my time with it, but Wellfit Girls motivated me.”
Libby Wellfit Girls 2015
<< Wellfit Girls Alumnae Lena, Alex, and Zya spent a Saturday with Habitat for Humanity of Collier County painting the outside of a home in Golden Gate City.
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Wellfit Girls Alumnae Adventure We had six alumnae participate in the first Wellfit Girls Alumnae Adventure in Boulder, CO in May. It was an exciting weekend filled with rock climbing, yoga and connecting with Wellfit Sisters from all four years.
<< “I had another life changing experience thanks to Wellfit Girls! I am thankful for these four years of unconditional love and support & for my sisters who have all helped shape the person that I am. Every time we meet - whether it’s at home, across the country, or across the world - I get the opportunity to connect to my soul and be empowered by what I’m capable of. I am so excited for the future of Wellfit Girls and hope to see many more young women presented with the same opportunities that I’ve had.”
Kendall Wellfit Girls 2014 Naples High School
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Our Daily Inspiration When girls feel physically empowered, supported by enhanced public speaking skills, improved confidence, and deeper self-discovery, their growth as leaders is markedly enriched. The girls experience themselves as stronger inside and out, and the world experiences them as more confident, empowered, and ready to lead. Participating girls will have experienced many vulnerabilities prior to program enrollment. This program addresses these vulnerabilities in foundational ways, elevating girls into the next phase of their lives. Studies have shown that facilitated experiences and nature-based adventure have a positive influence on teens, improving self-esteem and self-control. Of related importance, how we carry ourselves in the world begins with a strong physical foundation. A key element of successful leadership, as imbued through the Wellfit Girls program, is a focus on the value of a positive, powerful and lasting impression. Seeing firsthand how Wellfit Girls develop and thrive, through and beyond the program, provides continuous motivation to continue to grow this meaningful organization. Once a Wellfit Girl, Always a Wellfit Girl.
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How to get Involved Wellfit Girls provides a wide range of volunteer and sponsorship opportunities for supporters. We host several events throughout the year, including our Hop to the Top Easter 5K & Fun Run Easter weekend, an inspired speaker series, donation yoga, and our â&#x20AC;&#x153;Souper Bowlâ&#x20AC;? fundraiser on Super Bowl weekend.
Our volunteer committees meet regularly, devoting substantive in-kind contributions of time and talent. Sponsorships at any level are welcome, and we encourage donors to reach out to us to talk about what makes sense for your family or company. More information about the organization is always available on our website, wellfitgirls.org, and we have printed materials available, as well. We welcome you to attend an upcoming event, or simply reach out for a conversation about all that our Wellfit Girls do for and in our community.
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GO WITHIN TO GO B E YO N D!
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