Young girls lifted by annual conference

MEDINA — On International Women's Day, young girls from across Medina County were provided a message of hope, authenticity and realism. The 21st annual Sister-to-Sister Conference, put on each year by the Medina County branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), invited area middle-schoolers to Cleveland Clinic-Medina Hospital for an impassioned keynote speech as well as hands-on group activities telling them to "Be the TRUE you." Medina's event started as one of the first of its kind in the country, a development that organizers thanked co-founder Pat Chaloupek for spearheading. "We get repeat families who come here," she said. "They bring their friends again and they bring their girls again. Sometimes, the girls who attend come here as long as they can until they age out. Then, they come back as leaders. We're always so pleased when they continue on that path. The program started nationally with AAUW to deal with bringing girls out of their shells, to make sure they continue on with their goals and aren't put down by the role they're told to play. We want them to become leaders and utilize their full abilities. We want them to become educated and to get out there into the world." Medina AAUW parters with other local organizations for the conference including Battered Women's Shelter of Medina and Summit Counties, The Children's Center, Cloverleaf Schools, Cornerstone Psychological Services, Junior Leadership Medina County, Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Medina County District Libraries, Medina County Health Department, Medina Hospital, Ohio State University Extension 4-H and Zonta Club ABC. Stefanie Robinson, executive director of Medina's Hope Recovery Community, served as the day's keynote speaker. She walked attendees through her difficult adolescence and early-adulthood, which included drug and alcohol addiction, what she characterized as "risky sexual behavior," eating disorders, loss of friends and a general reluctance to "take off her mask." "I didn't know if I wanted people to know who I really was," she told the room. "Drugs and alcohol made things feel better in the short-term but also led to making decisions that I didn't like. I took my mask to college and quit the soccer team after one season. Soccer was my dream, but I quit. After a while, the mask became who I was." She recounted a move to Colorado, where she overdosed twice through the use of cocaine, heroin and ecstasy. After moving back to Medina County, attempts at sobriety came with new unhealthy behaviors such as self-harm, over-exercise and bulimia. A first trip to rehab did not result in Robinson's removing her mask, but a 2009 journey to facilities in Virginia and Arizona finally led to the breakthrough she needed. "The mask finally came off in group talks," she said. "I realized I had purpose. In Arizona, they asked me if I wanted to speak to patients at another center. I returned home and moved back in with my parents at 29, stopped with the over-exercising, stopped with the self-harm, stopped with the risky behavior and remained sober. And you know what? Life got better. I got closer to God. I made true friends. I was asked to speak to students at Cloverleaf and heard afterwards from a student that it impacted them. That made me feel so, so good. Over the next seven years, I spoke to over 100,000 people with most of them being junior high and high school students like you." Last year, Robinson was tabbed by local officials to lead the new Hope Recovery Community, 200 Highland Dr., Medina. She has carried her experience into leading house activities such as movie and art sessions and weekly Saturday night group meals. "This all happened because I took that mask off ten years ago," she said. "Only because I got honest with myself, my passion, and my purpose. Today, my calling is to help people who struggle with drugs and alcohol. I want them to find the life I've found." "When you guys leave here today I want you to think about my story," Robinson added. "We all have a story. Today, I'm 11 1/2 years clean from drugs, alcohol and an eating disorder. I want you to think about my path. I want you to think about your story. What is your story going to be? Now is the time to begin writing the story of your life." This year's Sister-to-Sister Conference marked the first time Junior Leadership Medina County (JLMC) students assisted in drawing up the day's program and events. Alexa DeLuca, a junior at Medina High School and JLMC member, said that task and the day's message left her with a feeling of hope. "I know I struggled a lot in middle school trying to fit in with everyone," she said. "I went through a lot and it feels good to help give advice to everyone coming in after me. It's scary thinking about social media and seeing everyone portray their lives as perfect. You have to be yourself and it can be hard to balance that sometimes." An eighth-grader from Buckeye Junior High School was inspired by Robinson's story. "There's a lot of people in this world who struggle with all of those things," she said. "Trying to grasp that some people go through those hard times is difficult. Change is hard for anyone. I feel like I'm not good with change sometimes. Friends and trying to fit in can lead to so much pressure. You have to find the good friends who tell you the truth and who care about you. This story today did a good job of showing that." Applications for new junior members are currently being taken at leadershipmedinacounty.org. Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at 330-721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.