AUR Alum Offers Soccer Clinic for Local Girls

During her years at AUR, Anastasia Safarian (BUS ’08) was a dynamic, active presence: captain of the She Wolves, VP of the BizClub, a student assistant, and active in Student Government. Now a graduate living in Rome and working at the NGO Bioversity, she continues to “give back” to the community as a member of AUR’s Campus Girl Scouts, most recently by organizing a Soccer Clinic for 4th and 5th grade Girl Scouts. The idea came to her while at a Training Conference for Girl Scout volunteers, held in October at AUR. Talking with women who were working with Junior Girl Scouts about activities to help girls build leadership skills, Anastasia suggested she apply her soccer expertise to teach the girls about soccer, sportmanship and teamwork, and help them build their confidence. The Clinic was held at The American Overseas School of Rome and was a huge success. One of the participating Girl Scout leaders, Martha Klinck, said “Anastasia taught the girls so much more than technique, she showed them that girls can do anything and all the better when girls are leading!!” AUR Campus Girls Scouts was launched in 2008 and is the only chapter outside the United States. The CGS have made a difference in the community in a number of ways since their founding, including working with the Rome homeless shelter at Termini Station, participating with the Rome Girl Scout troops in World Thinking Day, and sponsoring annual holiday parties for Girl Scouts, at which they work with the girls in teambuilding and creative activities. Ms. Klinck summed up the view of AUR’s CGS women: “Thanks again for connecting the Campus Girl Scouts with our troops. They have proven to be an extremely valuable resource for all the Girl Scouts in Rome!”