From my Desk

Girls Rock!
By Jill Duval

This year’s line up of young women of promise once again fills me with awe. They go up and up - they lead, inspire, and give hope in a time when many are feeling somewhat disheartened and discouraged.

I am pleased to see more and more positive programs and opportunities here and across the country to honor and empower teen girls. In the spring there will be a Girls Rock! Program in Santa Fe; the Albuquerque Journal holds the Making a Difference Awards; NAWBO provides the Camp Start-up program for aspiring entrepreneurs and our local chapter gives scholarships to that program; Girl Scouts honor young women with the Gold Medal Awards; Boyfriends Cosmetics, despite the question their name raises, uses this venue to get girls' attention and then footnotes every product with a message of empowerment; G.U.T.S. (Guys and Gals Utilizing Their Strengths) has provided scholarships for each of our honorees to address the personal development of their abilities, talents and skills. And, I just read about the Totally Awesome Teens in the Kentucky women’s magazine. If you know of a program, product, effort of any kind to either acknowledge their accomplishments or give girls additional opportunities please let us know. We want to spread the word.

A special thank you to our sponsors: Intel (for the fourth year!), G E Aircraft (a returning sponsor), Southwest Airlines (we’re thrilled to have you on board), and Comcast Cable (in their second year). Your recognition of these young women sends a powerful message to the community and to them about just how very important they are to our society.

In our upcoming issue (November) featuring Native American women of New Mexico, I am being told that a key reason women are supporting it is because they see it as an opportunity to acknowledge role models for young girls on the pueblos and reservations. In fact, we are looking at the possibility of printing an extra 5,000 to 10,000 copies of that issue to accommodate the requests. (If you are interested in being part of that effort please let us know - we need your support!)

Hats off to this year’s special young women. They remind us that the promise is there for all of us.

New Mexico WOMAN proudly presents the 2003 Young Women of Promise

This year’s competition was fierce. The selection of only 12 young women was difficult. For the first time in the history of the awards, we have named 39 honorable mentions. All of the young women nominated by family, teachers, counselors and youth organizations deserve to be honored. They are smart, talented, accomplished, diligent, and dedicated to their families and communities.

The Young Women of Promise Awards gives us the opportunity to meet these young women and see and hear about the tremendous things they are doing—the commitments they have made and their dreams, goals, ambitions, and plans for the future. As they move forward they plan to use their talents unselfishly to make our world a better place.

They have all chosen a cause, or causes, pledging to right some of the troubles in our society. Nikki Andler organizes and educates fellow students in an anti-drug and substance abuse movement. Kat Hafich is popular designers who utilize sweatshops. Elisabeth Roney is a Loretta Brown is aspiring to a career serving others. Brittany Rayburn’s ambitions are for a career as a doctor. Marcella Sandoval is interested in politics and the governmental process. Caitlin Thomas is working with the disadvantaged in her community. Rebecca Schreck is an incredible 13-year-old who organized friends and neighbors in Alamagordo, New Mexico to raise more than $9000 for the fight against cancer.

Our staff and the sponsors of our program congratulate this year’s Young Women of Promise and the three additional young women who have been selected for special recognition.

Our staff has chosen Melissa Brandenburg as the recipient of the New Mexico WOMAN’s Choice award. After a semester in and APS intern program, Melissa impressed us so much with her ambition, enthusiasm and hard work that we invited her to become a permanent member of the staff.

The GE Young Women of Promise Leadership Award and a $1000 scholarship have been presented to Allison Conway. Allison has recognized the desperate need for psychiatric treatment and facilities for those suffering from mental disorders. Her dream is to enter the field of medicine and specialize in psychiatry.

Helena Banks of Alamagordo has been selected for the Southwest Airlines Young Woman of Promise Community Spirit Award and also a $1000 scholarship. Helena has persevered through her own personal crisis. She has shown courage, dedication, and commitment to the organizations and youth groups to which she devotes her time.

These honorees are all fresh, idealistic, and passionate about what they believe in, and they are inspiring. They recognize and appreciate the opportunities that they have. We predict that the young women you see here will be the next generation of leaders.

Starting Up

Dance Dimensions

Christy Kearney has opened Dance Dimensions, a studio offering dance instruction for ages three to adult in jazz, hip-hop, kick, military, pom, ballet and cardio hip hop. The school provides a positive learning atmosphere to increase self-confidence, physical fitness, and technical skills.

Dance Dimensions offers special instruction and custom and private coaching to school-based teams and competitive dancers, as well as dance apparel and studio rental. Kearney will conduct tryouts for Dance Dimension’s all-star teams to represent the studio at local, regional, and national competitions several times throughout the year.

Kearney invites dancers and anyone interested to the studios’ facilities at Jefferson and Paseo del Norte. Contact Kearney at (505) 821-6164 or go to www.dancedimensions.com for information about fall classes.

Options

Katerina Misak-Aragon is a consulting herbalist who recently opened “Options.” Options offers up-to-date herbal wellness plans in four health related categories to improve well-being incorporating foods, supplementation, herbs, and other modalities. Misak-Aragon earned her diploma from the University of Natural Medicine in Santa Fe, a BS Botanical medicine from the American College of Botanical Medicine and certificates as herbalist and nutritional herbalist from the School of Natural Healing in Utah. Contact Options at (505) 892-3033 or visit www.opts4u.net.

EM Photography

“Capturing Life as it Happens” is the theme for EM Photography. Emily Nash takes unposed, on Location photos documenting the “celebration of life.” For information contact Hash at (505) 907-6011, or online at emilykay_nash@yahoo.com

Bodies Defined

Brenda Rule Osburn, owner of Bodies Defined, a private, personal gym for physical training, has started a program in Albuquerque, called Fitness by Phone. This new concept in physical fitness is designed to inspire, teach, and keep individuals accountable for their exercise programs any place, any time, without the presence of a personal trainer. The program is currently being studied by Stanford University and has a 89 percent compliance rate. For information about Fitness by Phone contact Rule at (505) 797-3778, or go to the website at bodiesdefined@msn.com

Do you remember?

How many times has someone asked the question, “Do you remember…?” And you don’t. How many times have you said, or heard, ‘I’m having a senior moment?” Senior moments are memory lapses, when the old synapses in the brain stop firing the way they used to. My synapses short circuit every now and again. I couldn’t for the life of me remember my best friend’s phone number the other day. I have gone from the bathroom to the bedroom with a purpose and by the time I got to the bedroom couldn’t remember why I was there. I know the information is somewhere in my brain, but it just doesn’t seem to come as fast as it used to.

My friend, who is in her early 40’s, was in a very bad automobile accident last year and a part of her brain was bruised. Her short-term memory isn’t working properly, so she takes prescription medication along with vitamins to help her recall information. What a great pair we are; I can’t remember her phone number and she can’t remember when I call!

I also remember talking to a good friend of my mother’s on her 80th birthday. Her friend was a high-powered retired executive with an amazing mind. He complained about not remembering things like he used to. Being a hypnotherapist and studying the way the mind works for many years, I told him I had the answer.

If you think of your mind like the hard drive on a computer, “senior moments” are easy to understand. When you are born you really don’t have much information loaded into the hard drive of your brain, but as you attend grade school and then high school you begin to get lots of information to input into your memory. By college you have a lot of information stored. As the years go by we input more and more data. Now we have to remember cell phone numbers, pager numbers, ID numbers for retrieving messages, PIN numbers, FAX numbers, how to retrieve call waiting send e-mail, record on VCR’s; we have phones that take pictures, palm pilots, and a plethora of other high tech items that require a degree in electronics to make them work.

As you go through life you input more and more information until, I believe, you use up most of the space on your hard drive. Therefore, when you begin to try to remember, especially in your 40s and 50s, it takes longer to sort through all of the other data to retrieve the sought-after information.

Many factors negatively impact the memory process. Sometimes it can be medications or alcohol. Depression can affect concentration. A chemical imbalance, illness, and information overload can also contribute to memory loss.

Memory loss does not mean that you are developing Alzheimer’s disease. Loss of memory can become a problem at any age due to inadequate blood flow, stress, and anxiety, lack of sleep, boredom, poor nutrition, and blood sugar fluctuations.

Stress is a major problem for our memories. Long-term stress does the greatest damage, reduced communication skills, and confusion when trying to remember details. There are several ways to improve your memory, the simplest being adequate sleep and a balanced diet. Skipping meals lowers blood sugar levels that affect brain function. If you are too busy to eat properly, take anti-oxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E. I also take a super

B-complex vitamin, which seems to give me more energy and brainpower. Taking a high dose multi-vitamin and mineral tablet can help your body from becoming memory depleted.

Exercising both body and mind will improve your ability to learn and retain important knowledge. Taking a 30-minute daily walk, or other types of aerobic exercise supplies your brain with oxygen via the blood. Reading a challenging book, doing math problems, taking classes, or learning a new language will make your brain work more effectively.

I think the greatest way to reduce stress is through therapeutic massage and meditation. I get a massage once a week. Not only does massage relax and heal the body, but it is wonderful to have someone focused on you for an hour where you do not have to do anything except enjoy the relaxation. I also meditate on a regular basis. It clears the mind and helps your whole body relax.

Valerian is a mild sedative that can relieve insomnia. St. John’s Wort can help with anxiety, tension and stress. Aromatherapy is an excellent way to boost memory. Rosemary is a stimulant to the brain and can be used in candle form, or by using five drops of oil in an oil burner.

The above methods for improving memory are for minor memory difficulties that most of us face at some time in our lives. If memory loss is associated with an illness or a major change in behavior, consult your physician.

I hope you found this information helpful. I am going to take some Ginko, a little Valerian smell some Rosemary and, and, hmm… What was I going to do?

Worthy of Note

Educational Events for Mid-Life Women

“Saving Yourself from Perfection” is the title of this month’s Women’s Time for Caring and Sharing discussion group hosted by the Mid-Life Women’s Support Group. The October 6 meeting will be facilitated by Enid Howarth, Ph.D., counselor and author of The Joy of Imperfection. On October 20, registered dietician Betzi Hitz, R.D. L.D, will present “Dueling Diets,” exploring the history and psychology of dieting and the differences between fad diets and science-based guidelines for weight loss. Both events are from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian HealthPlex in Albuquerque. For more information, call (505) 823-8300.

Get the Professional Edge

The YWCA Career Center is offering Professional Edge workshops on workplace ethic, sexual harassment, professional image, coaching a diverse workforce, and cultural competency for employees and employers. Workshops are presented in the workplace or at the YW training center in Albuquerque; dates are determined by request. Presenter Jolene Slowen is a former employee of the New Mexico Department of Labor and the current director of the YWCA Career Center. Slowen was also the host of Job Search New Mexico, a statewide television show. For information, call (505) 232-7100, ext. 101.

Turn “fright Night” into “sight night” this Halloween

LensCrafters and Lions Clubs International urge parents and trick-or-treaters to give as well as receive this Halloween by collecting used eyeglasses along with their sweets as part of Sight Night. Volunteers can collect glasses door-to-door or by organizing costume parties or parades. The eyeglasses are returned to LensCrafters and Lions club locations to be refurbished and delivered to people in 25 developing countries. Go to www.sightnight.org or call toll-free (977) 605-4242 to order a free Sight Night Collection Kit. If the Sight Night trick-or-treaters miss your door, you can donate eyeglasses all year long at any LensCrafters or Lions Club.

Women, Money, and Divorce

Women considering or going through a divorce can learn about the legal and financial aspects of divorce at a workshop facilitated by Albuquerque’s The Divorce Resource Group. The six-week workshop titled “Women, Money and Divorce,” is October 7 through November 22 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings, The $95 fee includes materials and a copy of Family Law in New Mexico by Barbara Shapiro. The Divorce Resource Group is also offering “Starting Over: Re-creating Your Life After Divorce,” a one-day workshop that presents “tools for re-creating a post-divorce life.” Topics include being single again, returning to the workplace, and balancing work and family. The workshop is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 11 and again on Saturday, November 15. The $85.00 fee includes lunch and materials. To register, call Deborah Gunderman at (505) 243-1771.

Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival

The Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival offers live entertainment, kid’s activities, and food - in addition to the work of more than 275 artists and craftspersons from around the country. The Festival is October 3, 4, 5, and 10, 11, 12 in the “Big Top” tent at the corner of I-25 and Paseo del Norte in Albuquerque. Proceeds from the festival help support the fund-raising efforts of local nonprofit groups, including Casa Angelica. Admission is $5.00 for adults; kids under 12 are free. Call (505) 292-7457 for details.

Help Support Native American Traditional Dress Pageant

November is Native American month, but you can donate funds now to support the North American Women’s Association (NAIWA) Native American Dress Pageant. In addition to contributing to local Indian communities, the New Mexico chapter organizes the Traditional Dress Pageant to promote and pay respect to Native American Heritage. The pageant is at 6 p.m. on November 15 at the University of New Mexico Continuing Education Auditorium in Albuquerque. Tickets are $25.00 and a reception will follow. For information on donations, contact pageant co-chairs Nanabah Grogan at (505) 344-0402 or Marla Pardilla at (505) 891-4060. For tickets call Marlene Naranjo, (505) 489-5577. Volunteer models may call Marla Pardilla or Linda Arviso-Miller at (505) 299-5905.