As of this year, JR is home to the first DC chapter of the nationwide organization, Ruling Our Experiences (ROX). The club’s mission is to create generations of confident girls who control their own relationships, experiences, decisions, and futures.
ROX is run and co-founded by freshman counselors Chandini Gupta and Alexandra Amaya. Gupta was inspired to bring this club to JR when she applied and was accepted to a fellowship for Women of Color for teachers and counselors through the ROX organization. The fellowship accepts only 10 applicants around the US, and through this, the ROX group fully funds the club at JR for the next two years. The accepted cohort of women are trained and receive ongoing professional development through the organization. Gupta emphasizes that her motive for founding the club was that she wants to “help girls be more confident, help them make better decisions with relationships and friendships. It’s really meaningful, and it’s beautiful to see them feeling empowered about the decisions they can make.” She wishes she had a supportive group of women for her when she was growing up and wanted to bring this to DC.
ROX is currently composed of a group of freshman girls. They come together to discuss tough topics, talk with each other, and learn how to navigate the challenges of being a teenage girl. One member, freshman Anya Furry said, “My favorite part is the community that we create with other girls and the lessons we learn about girlhood.” Fellow freshman and ROX member Darby Trevathan added, “We’ve met a lot of new people from this club, and it’s nice getting to know people who also feel the same way about being a girl.” The club has created a sisterhood of young women as they bond with others in the same stage of life. It’s also brought together people who wouldn’t have otherwise become friends. “A lot of the people I wouldn’t have even met or gone up to talk to if we hadn’t been in the same group,” Trevathan said.
Amaya added, “I love how diverse our group is. All of them have something amazing and powerful to offer in the group setting, and we’ve noticed how much their leadership skills have grown so much.” Amaya focuses on club logistics, including planning exciting upcoming activities for ROX. During Women’s History Month, ROX is planning on going on a field trip to the newly opened Women’s Art Museum downtown to celebrate. As ROX strives for the power and safety of women, the club is also planning on hosting a self-defense class for girls at JR.
Currently, ROX meets Wednesdays in Social Studies teacher Nicole Felmus’ room, B306. Next year, Gupta and Amaya plan on expanding the club through teacher nominations or self-referrals to create a wider cohort consisting of 15 girls. As they continue to grow, the club’s focus is on empowering young women to help foster confident, informed girls and set them up for success as they continue on through high school and into life.
