Since 2016, the Aum Foundation has served young women in Huntsville and Madison, and it has since expanded to Decatur and Selma.
The mission is to give young women access to tools and resources to help them on their own journeys to success in the hopes of them being able to one day return the favor.
Navigating the world after high school can be intimidating, which is why the program is for high school seniors.
“I know I have the capability to be more out there. I was just terrified,” explained Shelby Martin, Aum program graduate. “Before the program, I was a very high-anxiety, shy girl who really didn’t want to just blend into the background.”
Unsure of her true self, a counselor at Lee High School suggested Shelby look into the Aum Foundation’s Pathways 2 Success program. It’s a program that focuses on empowering and educating young women during their senior year. Each girl is paired with a mentor and gains insight into different career paths while building and enhancing life skills.
“When I started the program, with each class, I got a little more confident, especially seeing girls same age, same situation.”
Aum Foundation gives young women a place to feel heard and inspired by professional women in the local community, helping them overcome their personal challenges one step at a time by giving them a hand up, not a handout.
“I’m not alone. I’m more confident,” beamed Shelby with a smile. “I’ve learned to manage more. I’ve learned how to put myself out there more. I’ve learned how to talk to people and show that I am my true self, my more confident self.”
Shelby is a 2020 graduate of the program and remains involved, encouraging other young women to give it a shot.
“It does not hurt to try. You may be like me — terrified, scared, a little anxious — but it doesn’t hurt to try to just dip your toes into the water, because it is an amazing program and it changes so many lives.”
Shelby is currently in nursing school with aspirations of one day becoming a pediatric surgeon. She is just one of the more than 150 girls who’ve gained confidence on so many levels through this program.