Good Vibes Only: Mentoring young women, one table at a time

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA)—A group of girls has another tool to add to their toolbox thanks to Soroptimist International of Las Cruces, an organization that seeks to empower young girls and women.

Students of the New America School Las Cruces Charter High School are mentored each month. They’re exposed to skills that will help them pursue higher education or get a job after high school.

The girls recently took part in a hands-on training and demonstration as they learned all about business meal etiquette.

"It's important for them to know how to feel comfortable if they happened to be at a more formal dinner, to know, like, you know, what knife to use or how to deal with a butter, or what do you do with your napkin when you leave the table. So we wanted them to just have those skills that they might need as an adult or a young adult, in business or a formal situations,” said Esther Devall, who has been a longtime club member.

The girls learned about the formalities of dining, building relationships around the table and lesser-known facts of business etiquette.

"We really want them to feel comfortable, to feel engaged. I was really pleased that they, you know, for example, the speaker said, you know, part of etiquette is having conversation with the people around you. So the, the girls at my table were like, ‘What did you do today? How is your day, and what's your favorite thing to do?’ And, you know, so they really made an effort. Even then, they go to school together and know each other. They made an effort to make polite conversation. So I really was proud of them for that,” Devall explained.

The girls received training from specialists at the NMSU School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management.

"The goal is always to make sure that people feel really comfortable, not worrying about which fork they're using, but just so that they can enjoy the experience. And I think it's a universal skill that everybody benefits from,” said Andrea Arrigucci, the senior program specialist at NMSU.

The teen participants said they enjoyed interacting with their peers and learning new skills. They added that they’ll use these skills the next time they’re at the dinner table.

To learn more about the Soroptimist Club in Las Cruces, click here.

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