Getting Real with Girl Talk

Upper School students Annabelle Lawler (’25) and Ava Maples (’26) took time out of their own busy schedules to lead the most recent installment of our Lower School series Girl Talk. Aimed at 5^th-8^th grade SAA students, Girl Talk topics are based on requests from the girls themselves, which they submit to SAA School Counselor Britney Dedmon at the end of each year.

Annabelle and Ava spoke on the topic The Importance of School-Life Balance. “We thought this was a great topic because balance is such an important factor for young teens,” Annabelle explained, “It can be hard to prioritize school, friendships, family, and self-care. The girls need to know that nothing in life is perfect, but we can all grow from our imperfections by creating routines and not overworking ourselves.” 

Annabelle and Ava put together a teaser video to get the girls curious about their talk, and they planned ice breakers to encourage everyone to start sharing. They had the Lower School girls engaged in the conversation as they discussed real world examples for finding joy and balance every day.

During their talk, they provided tips on how to tell when you’re stressed, how to create good habits, and how to talk to your parents about what you’re feeling. They shared personal examples with the girls and talked to them about the importance of tackling one thing at a time, so as not to become overwhelmed.

When asked what she hoped the Lower School girls would take away from the talk, Ava shared, “I hope they know that this is a universal struggle. They are not alone in this! Making a routine including time for yourself is the best thing to do to prevent feeling stressed or overwhelmed.”

Annabelle and Ava are both Upper School SGA officers, and SGA moderator Dr. Jennifer Lovelace selected them to lead this Girl Talk. Dr. Lovelace explained, “I chose these young ladies because I knew their special blend of confidence, humility and empathy would resonate with the younger girls. Since they both have theater backgrounds, they’re more comfortable speaking to and interacting with a crowd. I knew collaboration between them would be strong.”

We appreciate the thought and effort Annabelle and Ava put into preparing this presentation. They understand the power of their role as mentor and role model for our younger students!