VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — Michella Apodaca had a variety of jobs before she decided she needed to do something to give back. She “started thinking about things that I wished I could have had as a teenager. Things I wish people would’ve told me about being confident, being myself.”
From that came what she calls Selfie Sessions for teenage girls, chat sessions with 3 themes: No more Mean Girls, body image and healthy relationships.
She’s hosted sessions at Esther Short Park, the Compass Coffee Shop and the Vancouver Library. Vancouver Parks and Rec took notice, and now she’s hosting Selfie Sessions twice a week through the Rec Department.
“I have a lot of girls who come in and they just feel like they’re finally able to vent,” Apodaca told KOIN 6 News. “Talk about things they’re not typically able to in school, with parents because it’s awkward.”
In this day and age of online bullying, she said communication and support are so important, especially at a vulnerable age.
“You get online and it’s really easy, it’s really easy to tear someone down,” she said. “I’ve talked to quite a few girls who’ve had really hard times and developed depression and anxiety surrounding these things.”
