International Day of the Girl

I have three incredible daughters and an amazing wife. I work at a school filled with talented and kind-hearted teachers and staff where we serve hundreds of fantastic young women whose collective talents and strengths cannot be enumerated in a mere blog post. I have a deep respect for women and a powerful interest in empowering girls and ensuring they see themselves as the extraordinary people they are. Good thing since I am surrounded by them all day every day, and proud to be so.

Today happens to be the International Day of the Girl (#DayoftheGirl), and with all the venom and disrespect spewed toward women and girls from too many places, I think it’s certainly worth the time to focus on how amazing girls are!

Here’s one story. At around 10:30 PM this past Saturday night, while Virginia Beach was under siege by a hurricane that had surprisingly morphed into a vicious nor’easter, two 7th grade girls from Princess Anne Middle School hopped into their kayaks and ventured out into the floodwaters to help a man who was struggling to move his car to safety. Turns out that man was none other than PAMS very own 6th grade math teacher and football and wrestling coach, Mr. Jamie Arnett.

Mr. Arnett and his wife got stuck while returning from a wedding. They had successfully navigated their way through the downpour and wind to arrive in the neighborhood next to their own when the floodwater got the best of their vehicle, which stalled out. Mr. Arnett got out of the car to try to push it to safety. While struggling with the car, a girl rowed up in a kayak and asked if she could help. She did not know who the man was who needed the help, just that he needed it. She called a friend over, and the two girls jumped in the water and helped push the car. They had no agenda nor did they expect anything in return. They were just being awesome … good old, run-of-the-mill, every day awesomeness!

(Above) Panthers Julia and Katelyn saved the evening for Mr. Arnett!

Here’s a cool story about five women critical to the history of NASA. Do you know them all?

Got any awesome girl stories you want to share? Tell them here!