By Kate Bartlett
The Women in Leadership Program at Panama Central Schools has been providing opportunities to high school females for over 8 years. As a small, rural school of around 400 students (PreK – 12), the program aims at providing diverse, enriching and motivating opportunities to provide exposure and built connections with successful businesswomen in the area. Along with providing mentorship and professional development, the program strengthens the school environment through diversifying leadership perspectives.
Women in Leadership was started by a previous administrator in 2019; Nichole (Nikki) Brunecz, Panama Central School Social Worker, has been involved with this program since 2022. “It’s truly an honor to be a part of this program,” remarks Nikki. “We love watching the women engage in their community and build connections with each other and business owners. It’s incredible to watch them light up throughout the process.
Individuals are nominated by teachers for the group, making membership a high honor, with a current count of 25 members. “Every year the program looks a bit different,” comments Nikki. “As membership changes, we strive to naturally adjust the program to best meet the needs of our members.”
Panama is a small, rural school in Chautauqua County, with a current enrollment of approximately 400 students in Pre-K through 12th grade and a class size of around 25 students per high school grade. “Due to our location and size, we are a bit limited in our opportunities. We aim to diversify our members and show them what life is like outside of Panama through discussions and exposure to a variety of business and volunteer opportunities.”
Autumn Rumaihi, high school year (senior) is honored to be a part of the Women in Leadership program. “It’s a high honor to be nominated,” remarks Autumn. “It’s such a fun and motivating group and I love meeting such inspiring women. We met such incredible women business owners on our recent field trip to Lakewood; it was empowering to hear their stories and feel their passion for their business. They made owning a business feel attainable. We could feel the supportive environment of the Lakewood community.”
The Women in Leadership program offers resume building experiences including volunteer programs, field trips, and networking in the community. Annual field trips highlight female led businesses and have brought members to the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel and Panache Salon and Day Spa, Solt Café and Spa and Art Cloth & Craft to connect with their female-led management teams. This year, the group visited a variety of female owned businesses in the Lakewood Community. “It was great to connect with so many women entrepreneurs. The Lakewood Community has a high percentage of women owned businesses. It was enriching to bring our members into this community, feel their passion, and tour a variety of business ventures.”
The Women in Leadership Program also provides members with a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the year including a variety of school events. “We aim to keep members well-rounded and instill the value of giving back to the community. We receive wonderful feedback from the teachers and students alike.”
Another value that leaders aim to demonstrate is the power of networking. “It’s a skill that many students might not realize, nor appreciate it’s impact. Not only do we introduce them to businesswomen to help them have personal connections, but we demonstrate the power of networking through our personal connections in the community. One thing leads to another; it’s a small world and we can help each other make a difference when we work together.”
For more information, visit pancent.org, follow on Facebook and email Nikki nbrunecz@pancent.org.