LMI Board Chair Melanie Thomas Armstrong works alongside second year students, guiding them through resume-building for future opportunities.
This past week at LMI, two visitors shared dynamic approaches to empowerment. Melanie Thomas Armstrong, the chair on our board, continued her focus on storytelling and personal growth, showing students how sharing their own journeys can build confidence and shape their futures. Meanwhile, Sophia Campana, professional gymnast for Italy, content creator and author, visited campus to share insights and support our self-defense program—created and managed by Jennifer Thomas as ‘Basic Yet Brutal: Women’s Self-Defense.’ She focused on both the physical techniques and mental resilience needed to stand up for oneself, and also facilitated a ‘Powerful Mind’ seminar highlighting storytelling, meditation, and empowering words.
From the start, Melanie underscored how storytelling helps women realize they’re not alone in their struggles. Reflecting on an earlier session, she observed, “When the women saw characters facing similar challenges in Real Women Have Curves, they felt validated and less isolated.” This theme carried into her resume-building workshop, where students discovered that volunteering at church or helping in a family store are legitimate experiences worth highlighting. “By the time we finish, they realize how much they’ve already accomplished,” she explained.
Sophia demonstrating self-defense techniques during the workshop.
Sophia’s journey offered an equally powerful testament to personal transformation. She opened up about enduring psychological and physical abuse while training with the Italian national team, and finding the courage to confront it. “I wanted to leave my trainer, but was afraid, because I thought she was my only key to my success,” she said. “But when I stood up for myself, everything changed.” Her message resonates deeply at LMI, especially in a self-defense context where women learn not only to protect their bodies but also to set healthy boundaries in everyday life.
Throughout her workshop, Sophia repeatedly drove home the idea that failure and fear are part of the process. Whether you’re learning a new backflip or taking your first steps into a leadership role, stumbling is inevitable—and okay. “Every time I fail,” she noted, “I learn what doesn’t work, and I move closer to what does.” Melanie sees similar benefits in encouraging students to share their own ups and downs, pointing out how reflection helps them appreciate their resilience and growth.
Melanie led a group project where students redesigned the campus mini-mart, creating a name, logo, and profit-boosting strategies. The winning group’s ideas were implemented and will shape the new mini-mart.
“I liked making the resumes because I learned how to do it the right way. Now I feel more confident about what to include and how to say it.” — Yesica, Second Year Student at LMI.
The final piece of the puzzle is visualizing where you want to go next. Melanie’s “future story” exercise asks students to create vision boards that articulate their dreams—be it a new career, a family, or personal wellness. At the end of the week, many walk away with a clearer sense of self-worth, emboldened by the reminder that “success” can look different for everyone.
Honduras has the highest femicide rate in Latin America, with 211 femicides reported between January and September 2022 alone. According to UN Women, approximately 90% of these crimes remain unpunished, highlighting deep systemic challenges. In such a context, learning self-defense at LMI—thanks to Jennifer’s program and Sophia’s testimony—is more than just a practical skill. It’s an essential step toward safety, confidence, and reclaiming personal power. Together, they give students the tools to stand up against fear and violence, helping them feel stronger in the face of harsh realities.
By interweaving storytelling, self-defense, and honest reflection, both Melanie and Sophia showed LMI students that finding your voice is a powerful form of personal and communal change. As one student put it, “We learned it’s not just about defending ourselves physically; it’s about believing we’re worth defending in every way.”
