Young Women's Corner: A Mother's Touch
By Kandace Arens, Presentation High School

For more than a decade, PBWC has inspired and challenged young women to achieve their dreams. To continue the tradition, we invited students from San Jose’s Presentation High School to join our editorial team and tell us about their goals and fears. Girls interested in writing for a future issue or our website can send us their article proposal and we'd be delighted to consider it.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been the one that I’ve turned to. When I started to crack under the intense pressure of attempting to do two plays, write for my school newspaper and keep up a 4.0 GPA at my rigorous high school, she was the one that stayed up with me to stop the torrent of tears. When it came time to decide my future and begin to pick a direction in life, she was the one to whom I told my fears. When the big envelope was finally placed in my mailbox, she was the one who held my hand as I broke the seal.

I have never been one to know exactly what I wanted to do with my life. Not wanting to close any doors throughout high school, I dabbled in a bit of everything — sports, student council, academic clubs — until I finally found my passion in theater and the performing arts. Now, I’m sure any mother would much rather hear from their daughter that they’d like to be a lawyer or a doctor than an actress. In fact, she was the one who told me I could do it when I stopped believing. She was the mentor that wisely told me…“Never let anyone steal your power, Kandace. Everything you need is
right here, hidden inside you. Don’t ever let anyone tell you differently.”

In the fall, I’ll move on to college and chase dreams that, thanks to her, I know I can achieve.

Kandace Arens is a student at Presentation High School.




PBWC Connections thanks Presentation High School faculty advisory Tara Komar for her generous assistance launching this new section of the magazine. We also salute Adrienne Renner for her ongoing support of PBWC.

As seen in the
Spring 2007 issue of PBWC Connections

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