The Delcastle Leading Ladies Empowerment Group, a club that focuses on empowering young women to pursue their goals, recently visited Girls Auto Clinic, owned and operated by Patrice Banks, outside of Philadelphia, PA on Thursday, March 16, 2023. This field trip was arranged by the club advisor, Mrs. Lynnette Hollis, who wanted the Leading Ladies to see a woman who had the courage to become a trendsetter for women who dream of working in male-dominated career and technical areas.
Mrs. Hollis hopes that the students who went on this field trip will come away empowered to pursue whatever career they want, feel confident to amplify their voices in spaces where they can effect change, and believe and invest in themselves. "It's a sure way to change the trajectory of their future," Mrs. Hollis said.
The trip was an eye-opening experience for the students, including Leading Ladies member Laylah Thiam '25, who said, "A memorable moment of the trip is when I was able to change the oil! This trip was important to me because I believe more women need to step toward to be in the male dominant careers. I also learned how to create a goal and stick to it because Patrice (the owner) worked hard to make her dream a reality."
Lamiah Wallace '25, another student member, shared her experience, saying, "For me, it was nice to see women actually working in the auto body industry because you hear about it all the time and you hear about how good they are but to see them actually running an auto shop and for [Patrice] to be the boss was more uplifting than anything." Wallace also commented on the ambiance of the shop, saying, "I think just going on the field trip and seeing the outside of the auto shop compared to the inside was just very different, it felt very homey there and it was very comforting to be there and I felt safe."
Overall, the visit to Girls Auto Clinic was a successful and inspiring experience for the Delcastle Leading Ladies Empowerment Group. The Leading Ladies left with a newfound appreciation for the work that Patrice Banks and her team do, and with a greater sense of confidence in their ability to pursue their own dreams, no matter how unconventional they may be.