After retiring as the head coach of the KHS varsity poms squad, Stacy Taubman felt unfulfilled. She realized being a math teacher alone was not enough for her. So, she decided to create something big- Girls Dreaming Big, a self-im- provement and empowerment company for young women.

“I think, at times, high school girls feel so alone. When they have a friend, parent or relationship drama, they often don’t have anyone to talk to. Either their friends are part of the problem or aren’t equipped to know how to handle different situations,” Taubman said.

One of the first things the company will do is form their Girls Dreaming Big Family. There will be a monthly membership fee that includes bi-monthly meetings, monthly social events, quarterly service projects, weekly inspirational e-mails and free access to the speaker series. The Family will have meetings twice each month to talk about issues and strategies for achieving their dreams.

“It won’t be about what you have on, who you are friends with or what boy or girl likes you,” Taubman said. “I want to create a place where girls can come feel a part of something and feel comfortable being who they really are.”

A small group of girls will be the Girls Dreaming Big Family leaders to help Taubman launch the company by planning, promoting and brainstorming ideas. Two of the Family leaders are Casey Norton, junior, and Emily Trokey, senior.

“It’s so much fun to talk with the girls and to all be focused on one common goal,” Trokey said. “Right now we are just brain- storming ideas of what we want Girls Dreaming Big to become. There are trips being planned and workshops.”

They will also have monthly social events, quarterly service projects, weekly inspiration- al e-mails and free entry to a monthly speaker series from women in the community who have conquered their big dreams. One of the first speakers will be Sarah King, the owner of Blush Boutique in Downtown Kirkwood.

“[Girls Dreaming Big gives us] the chance to become more empowered in a world where men hold most of the power in the working world,” Norton said. “[Taubman] is just so easy to talk to. I can talk to her about any- thing, and she doesn’t judge at all. She’s a role model for me, and I really look up to her.”

The company will offer personal growth and development trips to various places around the world. This summer, Taubman, as well as Norton, Sloane Simmons and Kathryn Turek, seniors and Sally Owens, a 2012 KHS graduate, are flying to Bali, Indonesia with hopes to improve themselves by helping others. The trips will consist of service, sightseeing and nightly seminars.

“This [2013 summer] trip is going to be so much fun,” Norton said. “I want to go for the experience of seeing Bali and helping out children who are less fortunate. I think it will be a life-changing experience and will teach me a lot about myself.”

Taubman is taking a leave of absence next school year to focus on Girls Dreaming Big. She plans to have the company fully functioning by the 2013-2014 school year and hopes to offer three different trips for the summer of 2014: Bali, Africa and possibly China.

“When I think about my life and what has helped me have the courage to dream big, it is my travel experiences that have shaped who I am today,” Taubman said.

Girls Dreaming Big will put on a mother- daughter workshop May 4. It will focus on communication and transitioning into college. The workshop will include lunch, seminars, a makeover and a photo session shot by Randy Kriewall, math teacher. The work- shop will be open to any junior or senior and their mother. The cost of the workshop is to be determined.

“I hope [Girls Dreaming Big] becomes a place where girls can come and just hang out together and grow mentally, emotionally and physically into well-rounded women,” Trokey said.

Check out the Girls Dreaming Big Facebook page, Twitter account, and website