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Beverly High students report on Young Women’s Leadership trip to Italy
Summary
Five Beverly High students described meetings with Italian women leaders, workshops and cultural visits on a Young Women’s Leadership trip to Italy and told the School Committee the experience boosted confidence and community ties.
Five Beverly High School students told the Beverly School Committee on March 12 about their recent Young Women’s Leadership trip to Italy, describing workshops with women in politics, academia, journalism and immigrant relief organizations and saying the visit gave them leadership skills and new confidence.
The students — Sadie Brennan, Katie Murray, Nina Orlando, Alvina (last name not specified) and Sarah (last name not specified) — told the committee they visited Milan, Rome and Tuscany, attended seven workshops on gender and the workforce, met a university economics professor and a female mayor, and spent time with an immigrant women’s relief group that runs an after‑school program and language classes. “This trip allowed us to step out of our comfort zone and have a once‑in‑a‑lifetime experience,” Sadie Brennan said.
Why it matters: committee members said the presentation showcased a student‑led learning opportunity that connected classroom study with civic and cultural experiences. Superintendent Dr. Flaherty introduced the students and highlighted the role of staff and chaperones in organizing the trip.
Students described multiple workshops. They met Roberta Rabioli, an economics professor in Milan, who spoke about gender inequality in the labor market; visited Donna and Campo, a woman‑owned farm in Tuscany; met a young female mayor who overcame local skepticism; and heard from a Vatican correspondent about media coverage of women and global issues. One student singled out a meeting in the Italian parliament with an immigrant member of the Chamber of Deputies, noting the speaker had received Italian citizenship years after arrival and found public service difficult at first because she was both an immigrant and a woman.
The students said the trip strengthened friendships and inspired new ambitions. “It opened the door to new opportunities,” Katie Murray said, describing return home with “a new sense of confidence and willingness to try new things.” They thanked Dr. Orr and chaperones Mrs. Richardson, Mrs. Flaherty and Mrs. Mariscalchi for organizing and supervising the trip.
The committee did not take action on the presentation but praised the students and the staff who accompanied them. Members said they hope similar opportunities will be offered to more students in the future.
Ending: Committee members encouraged the students to continue sharing lessons from the trip with peers and to consider how the leadership themes could help other students in Beverly Public Schools.
