Campus Connection

UWL student inspires confidence, leadership in young girls though after school running club

As Ilee Smith trained for the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota this spring, she logged some extra miles — alongside a group of fourth and fifth grade girls. 

Smith, a senior majoring in public health and community health education at UW-La Crosse, recently helped launch and coach a chapter of REAL Girls at Southern Bluffs Elementary. REAL Girls stands for Raising and Empowering Authentic Leaders. The after-school program combines running with leadership development, aiming to build confidence in girls during a formative period of their lives.  

The group met twice a week starting in March, culminating with participation in 5K run-walk in May. Each session included a group run, followed by a guest speaker — women role models from the local community, including firefighters, EMTs, business owners, college athletes, and healthcare professionals.  

“We want them to know that being who you are is more than enough,” says Smith. “The transition from elementary to middle school can be overwhelming. If these girls aren’t confident in who they are, they can be easily influenced. Our goal is to help them build a foundation before that big, scary change.” 

For Smith, the message behind the miles was clear: there’s no one right pace — on the track or in life. “It wasn’t about how fast they ran,” she says. “It was about showing up, doing your best, and growing stronger in the process.” 

Girls in the chapter said the program not only helped them improve at running, but also made them feel more confident and helped them develop friendships with kids from different grade levels at Southern Bluffs.  

"One of the things I really loved about REAL Girls is that the coaches will always build you up and never let you down,” says Jillian Powell, a fifth-grader in the REAL Girls chapter. 

The idea to start a REAL Girls chapter began with a suggestion from Emily Boland, Smith’s coworker at Hunt and Gather Grazing Boards. Knowing Smith’s passion for running, Boland encouraged her to consider coaching. Smith quickly saw the opportunity to combine her love of fitness with her interest in public health. 

“If something like this had existed when I was in elementary school, I know I would’ve loved it,” says Smith. 

The news that Smith was serving as a role model for young girls through REAL Girls came as no surprise to Sarah Pember, chair of UWL’s Department of Public Health and Community Health Education. Pember, who taught Smith in class last fall, says her character and community focus have been evident from the start.  

“She has always been a standout student: conscientious, gets along with everyone, a true leader who is also passionate about public and community health,” says Pember.  

Pember adds that Smith’s efforts reflect a broader culture of service among the students she teaches — one that gives her hope for the future. 

“This dedication to the community — the ways in which our students care for others — is standard among all of our majors. They wouldn't be in public and community health if they didn't care about people,” she says. “Also, wonderfully, I see it in many of the students I have the pleasure to teach in my general education classes ...  And it does inspire me about the well-being of our community as these students graduate and move on to serve not only La Crosse but the places they choose to settle.” 

REAL Girls gave Smith an outlet to apply what she’s learned in the classroom in a real-world setting — a cornerstone of the public health and community health education program at UWL. 

“I’ve always appreciated how much our professors encourage us to get involved in the community,” she says. “REAL Girls was a way for me to do that — to get girls out and active, teach them new things, and show them the value of being engaged in the community.” 

Smith’s long-term goal is to work as a public health nurse, ideally in a hospital setting. She envisions organizing community health initiatives like REAL Girls on a larger scale someday — efforts that make health and wellness more accessible to diverse populations. 

“Running is a great platform,” she explains. “You don’t need a lot of equipment or experience to start. And the benefits go beyond physical fitness. For me, running is a huge mental freedom. I started during the pandemic, and it gave me something to work toward. Now I get to help others discover that same joy.”