As the current school term begins drawing to a close, the S Club of Benicia High School has recognized its graduating senior members as well as its accomplishments of the past year, Susie Harper, S Club Liaison said.

S Club is a student organization sponsored by Soroptimist Benicia, of which Harper is past president.

Among its outgoing members are those who have been on its board, Harper said. They are President Mady Hahn-Smith, Vice President Natalie Leduc and Secretary Shelly Wilcoxen.

Also leaving after graduation are Kaleigh Wright, Zoe Bumbarner, Melanie Brrall, Christine Yap, Allie Yip, Phoebe Change and Kaylee Savage.

Since last July, the members have been busy participating in multiple service projects, such as raising $1,400 through their Benicia Relay for Life team, a teen dating violence awareness project and the annual Spring Fling, a formal dance party for the students in the PACE program.

“They are very proud of the second Teen Dating Violence awareness campaign,” Harper said. “It was bigger and better than last year.”

S Club members also support Soroptimist events as well, Harper said. Among them are a Saturday of Service, during which the students were hostesses of a party for the older adult residents of Casa Villarassa, and a domestic violence vigil in October 2014.

In addition, the club organized several fundraisers, donating the proceeds to SafeQuest, Solano County’s dual domestic violence and sexual assault response agency and shelter.

Getting S Club started at Benicia High School was a logical extension of the Soroptimist goal of improving the lives of women in girls in both local communities and in the world, Harper said.

“As mentors, Soroptimists provide support, advice and friendship to women and girls, while encouraging them to develop to their fullest potential,” she said. “Soroptimists have the additional opportunity to instill within mentees a passion for helping other women and girls live their dreams of a better life.”

She said both women and girls need positive female role models, particularly among successful professional women.
Soroptimist members provide that model “of what can be accomplished when a network of professional women work together to make the world a better place for all women and girls,” she said.

The student-level club was conceived by Mae Carvell, a Los Angeles member of Sororptimist, who initiated the sponsorship of Venture Clubs in 1926 as a way to provide vocational guidance.

In 1934, Venture Clubs were started to guide young women entering businesses or professions.

In 1966, Soroptimists started Sigma and S clubs so members could be mentors to college and high school age women and girls and to encourage volunteerism.

It also gave members a way to help S and Sigma members learn about leadership opportunities and to be able to withstand gender discrimination and other challenges as they go into the working world, Harper said.

Some S Club members go on to become Soroptimist members, too, Harper said. One of the local Soroptimist past presidents, Julie Vucurevich, has been an S Club member.

And Enid and Eliza Partika, the incoming S Club president and secretary, are daughters of a former Soroptimist member, Judy Partika.

The club already has its goals under the new leadership in the 2015-16 school year, Harper said: “To grow the club, participate in more community service events and increase donations to women and girls.”