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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels July 15, 2004 Girls growing up By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings It's never easy being a teen, as one struggles to get through that awkward stage between child and adult. Four Ashland High School girls are taking four incoming AHS female freshman this weekend out to the wilderness for four days of self-discovery as part of their senior project. The purpose of the hike is to provide a resource that helps ease the tensions and uncertainty of becoming young woman and entering high school. The goal is to encourage personal growth, get in touch with themselves, and to discuss with each other issues faced by girls in high school face. They will leave on Sunday and plan to hike either in the Greensprings area or the Mount Shasta region in northern California. They will be lead by Shianna Walker and another adult guide. Walker, who works in the library at AHS, did a five-day trek with the four senior girls: Catlin McGoodwin-Young, Marjorie Gosling, Amirah Said and Laura Newton, all 17, when they were freshmen. She has done hikes like this with teen girls for the past five years. "I think it's important for them to be role models," Walker said. "It's not taught in the school system how to be a balanced, successful woman in the world. When they are out there in nature, they really discover themselves and learn all they can accomplish. And they feel like that they can stand for themselves in high school." The girls will be out in the forest for an extended period of time by themselves to reflect and to be self sufficient. "We're excited about doing this for these girls," Newton said. "Our experience has helped us be more aware of who we are and what we wanted from life and high school." Newton said it was therapeutic to talk about themselves, and their hopes, dreams and fears. Having the support of fellow participants and being out in the wilderness had a profound influence in her life, she and Gosling agreed. "After our experience, it was like we were never alone," she said. "It made the hard times in high school easier." This will be the senior project for McGoodwin-Young, Gosling and Newton. Said graduated in June. "But we just couldn't to do it without her," Gosling said. "We're a team. We have developed a strong bond with each other. It's a sense of being almost complete when we're together." When Colette Pare-Miller, 14, heard about the backpacking trip, she knew she wanted to be a part of it. "The more I found out about it, the more interesting it sounded," she said. "It sounds fun to go up to the wilderness for a few days and get to know all the other girls better. I hope to learn more about myself." Having the four seniors help the freshman girls has given Walker a sense of accomplishment. "They now want to give back to these younger girls, which is so wonderful and beautiful," she said. "It's come full circle. I taught them and now they're teaching others." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams