Finding a place to fit in on a college campus can be challenging for anyone, especially if you’re a woman looking for somewhere to have your voice heard. Penn State College Moxie, a student-run organization focused on empowering women, is hoping to change that.

College Moxie is a national organization with chapters located all over the United States. Its mission is to provide women with an outlet to express themselves and create a positive on-campus environment.

“We stand for respect, unity, and love,” chapter president Brooke Hoard said. “I want that to pour out into not only the Penn State community, but to everywhere.”

At Penn State, College Moxie is relatively new. The chapter began last year as an “elevate group,” which is a small group where women can gather to talk about topics that can make an impact on campus, such as social media, body image, and relationships. These groups meet a couple of times a month to promote healthy conversations among women who want to have an impact on campus.

This year, though, members of Penn State College Moxie have plans to become much more than just an elevate group. For starters, the club is now officially recognized as a campus organization, meaning it has an executive board and more structure than when it started last year.

According to Hoard, Penn State College Moxie has a diverse range of activities set for the year. These include meetings for the elevate groups, where a variety of topics affecting women on campus are discussed.

Hoard said that these types of meetings intentionally are very small and intimate. They’re intended to ensure that women on campus have a place to have their voices heard.

Hoard also said that there are a number of monthly empowerment events. These “self-love” events also typically feature a wide range of activities, from surprise motivational speakers to a session where members pop balloons to erase their insecurities.

Through these events Hoard hopes that College Moxie will have an impact on positive thinking at Penn State. She said she wants the organization to be a place where women can find themselves and share their thoughts on important issues, without feeling like they don’t matter.

“People always come up with solutions to a problem, but they never implement a change,” Hoard said. “College Moxie does that. We stand for empowerment, respect, equality, unity, and that’s exactly what we’re doing in this organization. We’re giving that to this campus. We’re being the change.”

Although the organization prides itself on helping women to find their voice in a unique way, Hoard says that there is little amount of commitment to be involved. Members can attend meetings at their convenience, and any woman from all ages, majors, and backgrounds are invited to join.

Members can stay updated through the group’s Instagram, @collegemoxie_psu. The account features motivational content, spotlights on members, and announcements for meetings.

The next meeting for the group will take place on October 17 in 118 Thomas.