Kent State’s new on-campus organization, Girls Helping Girls, held its first meeting Tuesday in Bowman Hall.

“(Girls Helping Girls) was created to bring friendship and community collaboration within girls in the university, and to help us grow professionally and personally. I just feel … it’s important to have — especially when you’re far away from home — to have somebody close to you and to have people that you can talk to and go to,” said Chrishon Wilson, a senior fashion merchandising major and president of Girls Helping Girls.

The meeting started out with free pizza from Domino’s and introductions of the board members. There are five board members: Wilson; Vice President Kayla Draper, a junior fashion merchandising major; Secretary and Public Relations Representative Randal Brown, a junior communications studies major; Treasurer Marissa Alvarado, a junior human development and family studies major; and Coordinator Adrianna Robinson, a junior public health major.

The meeting proceeded with an announcement of the organization’s main goal, and various plans they have scheduled for throughout the semester.

“It’s important to have a mindset that ‘I am a professional wherever I go,’ and that’s what we want to make sure that we relay to all of these girls,” Brown said.

The organization’s biggest upcoming project is the Prom Project, a program where the organization will raise money from fundraising events to help two girls from the Kent, Akron or Cleveland area pay for prom expenses such as a dress, a hair dresser and, possibly, a makeup artist.

“We wanted to do a fashion show to raise money for the Prom Project, but every time we tried to book rooms with the university, they told us we needed to be an organization,” Wilson said, “so we started the organization off of that.”

The organization then discussed different fundraising activities they could do to raise money for the Prom Project.

“This isn’t 100 percent sure, but we were doing one (fundraiser) where we go to our personal resources because one of our e-board members is a Greek chair, and … do an event and partner with her and her sorority,” Brown said.

The organization is hoping to bring Kent State students together to assist girls in the surrounding communities.

“I like people helping people. I feel like this organization will be great for the community as well as a way to make friendships and build a network of connections,” said Sha’miah Lindsey, a sophomore accounting major and potential member of Girls Helping Girls. “I feel like this is a really great way to help the community.”

The organization also talked about doing a retreat with new members in the future such as in New York City, at a Cleveland Cavaliers game, a cabin trip, or going to Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky.

Girls Helping Girls will meet every other Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Bowman Hall, room 223. For any questions or concerns, contact them at [email protected].

Nathaniel Harvey is the activities reporter, contact him at [email protected].