What began as a lighthearted chat about forming a club for girls to hang out together after school has developed into something much deeper.
Wachusett Regional High School senior Ellie Daly said the idea behind the now up-and-running Wachusett Supporting Sisters club was hatched during a lunch conversation last year with a few friends.
“In the beginning it was just a joke — until my friends began to express genuine interest,” the 17-year-old recalled. “So, the wheels started turning, and I turned to my best friend Grace Lannon, the club’s vice president, and told her my idea. And we both knew it was something we wanted to do. We went to our favorite teacher and asked her to be our club advisor. We signed some papers, got approved by the principal, and the rest is history.”
The club has grown from a handful of members to nearly 100 strong in a fairly short amount of time, which solidifies Daly’s conviction that it was necessary.
“The true inspiration was seeing girls around me constantly struggle for validation from their peers,” the Sterling resident said. “We wanted to give these girls a safe space to be themselves without fear of judgment. Our mission is to empower young women in the Wachusett community to not only find their voice, but also help others find theirs along the way. All while having fun, making friends, and maybe learning a thing or two along the way.”
Daly and Lannon have been busy with several projects around the school since the club officially launched on Instagram Sept. 7. They set up a bulletin board with a positive vibe, have held regular meetings and done fundraisers, and worked to beautify the girls’ bathrooms.
Coming up is an inaugural bake-off, which will be their next meeting. The fun and friendly baking competition will be held Dec. 1 from 2:15 to 5:30 p.m. in the Wachusett Regional High foods room.
“The leftover cookies we plan to bring to local fire, police, and health care workers to show our thanks for them during this turkey season,” Daly shared. “Some other projects we have planned are a bake sale in early February at the school and a bunch of other fundraisers and activities for our club members.”
Daly said she is incredibly grateful to have her best friend Lannon by her side for this journey, and noted that the dynamic and dedicated duo “run the club by ourselves.”
“We have club advisers who give us a hand sometimes, but mostly it’s just me and Grace against the world,” Daly said. “Mr. Pratt, the (interim) principal at Wachusett, has been a big help in our efforts to expand our club.”
She said the response to the club has been positive.
“The community is loving our club,” Daly said proudly. “My mother posted about our club on Mountaineer Mamas (on Facebook), and it blew up. Everyone has so many positive things to say. We got lots of sweet and encouraging messages and even some local businesses that wish to work with us.”
Those interested in being a part of Wachusett Supporting Sisters can join their Google Classroom page and follow it on Instagram at instagram.com/wachu_supporting_sisters?igshid=MThwaGhrYWN5aGJwcg%3D%3D. Four dozen young women showed up at their last meeting, so many that some had to sit on the floor because they ran out of desks.
“We are astounded by the turnouts,” Daly said. “We plan to really dive deep this winter into lots of fundraisers to raise money to get women and children Christmas presents this holiday season.”
She said that for her personally, the club “is so important,” especially coming on the heels of the pandemic.
“My freshman year at Wachusett was all online because of COVID, so making connections over Zoom was rare. Once we finally headed back into the building, people didn’t really know how to act,” she said.
“I was shy, anxious, confused and scared. I wanted to fit in and blend in and disappear. If only at the time I’d had someone to turn to who could’ve shown me the ropes, walked me to class, sat with me at lunch. Watching the incoming freshmen struggle the same way I did is what really pushed me to create the club. So maybe in the future the girls at Wachusett will have a tightknit community of young women to turn to in any situation.”
“I put so much time and effort into making sure my girls feel welcomed, appreciated, heard and loved,” Daly said. “I want these young women to leave each meeting with a sense of empowerment. If not that, then I want them to have learned something new, maybe have made a new friend. Any positive takeaways from our meetings are what I strive for. I have heard nothing but love and positive feedback from our members so far, and I plan to continue to do my best for the sake of my girls and the good of the club.”
