Janice Baez, AWEF Board Member
Years of Service: 2022 to present
“I am grateful to serve the women and girls of Aurora through working on a board that aims to positively transform the community by helping all women succeed.” ~ Janice Baez
Janice Baez founded West Aurora High School’s Empowered Women of the Future (EWF) Club in 2019. At the time, Baez, a junior, felt inspired to begin a focused and ongoing program at the school with support by teacher sponsor, Terri Shepard, to bring together young women who want to develop their opportunities, empower other girls and women, and create a world of equality and equity. Janice has a strong belief that patriarchal cultural tradition, systemic racism resulting in academic and economic inequity, ignorance of educational and career opportunities, and lack of basic financial support limit the dreams and skills of young women in Aurora. Guided by Janice’s vision and ongoing support, the EWF Club continues to thrive. Currently over 100 high school girls are participating in club activities each month and another 200 middle and grammar school girls are participating in mentoring programs facilitated by EWF Club members.
Currently, Janice is studying at Aurora University and aspires to graduate in 2025 with a bachelor degree, double majoring in Political Science and Social Work. At school she maintains a 4.0 grade point average while working part-time and volunteering in the community. In 2022 she interned for the Office of State Representative Barbara Hernandez Aurora, Illinois, where she designed social media posts for important events and announcements, provided translation services, and worked closely with key constituents to keep them informed on Representative Hernandez’ community activities.
