Newly graduated West Ranch senior Aishwarya Sudan and her mother Munnu Sudan came together to form a new event focused on empowering and uplifting young women.
Aishwarya Sudan said the idea for the event, Santa Clarita Valley Lioness Rising, started when she was deciding to go to college. She said after she decided to live near her college campus, her parents wanted her to consider learning self-defense because she was a young woman living in a new area.
“My mom and I were just like, ‘What if we started our own for Santa Clarita?’” said Aishwarya Sudan.
The event is scheduled June 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. Aishwarya Sudan said that the event is aimed for young women 16 to 20, but if younger girls were interested, they would be happy to have them.
Any attendee under 18 does require a parent or guardian release form, according to the event website.
Through partnerships with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, UCLA Health, and Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studios, the event will have sessions on social awareness, basic first aid, combatting human trafficking, financial guidance, and self-defense.
Tickets for the event cost $33.85 and will include lunch, a swag bag and a T-shirt, according to Munnu Sudan. Tickets can be purchased through Tuesday, June 17, by visiting tinyurl.com/mupwwjy9.
Aishwarya Sudan said she wants to encourage people to come take time to learn the skills that could prepare them for anything.
“There’s just a lot of issues that have increased with society just as our generation has grown up, and personally I think it’s important to be aware of them and to be able to protect yourself from them,” said Aishwarya Sudan.
The Hyatt Regency Valencia is located at 24500 Town Center Drive.
