On Feb. 27, District Attorney Madeline Singas came to Schreiber to discuss her story as a woman in America’s political sphere.  The event was organized by Schreiber’s Women’s Empowerment Club and took place in the library. There, DA Singas spoke proudly about her childhood in Astoria, which lead to her education at The Bronx High School of Science, Barnard University, and then Fordham Law.

DA Singas’ story was inspiring to many, especially because she explained that the reason she was able to become as influential as she is today was not her lineage.  Being born from Greek immigrants, DA Singas explained how even though the odds were not in her favor, she did not allow this to impede on her success.

“I thought it was extremely empowering how she persevered and didn’t let anyone get in her way as the underdog,” said senior Morgan Gearty.

DA Singas has worked on a variety of cases in her 27 years as a prosecutor, ranging from drug and gun violations, gang violence, and sexual assault cases.  Although this work is very intense and can be mentally taxing, Singas explained that to her, the work is gratifying and enables her to feel proud of herself as she understands that her efforts are helping others.

The Women’s Empowerment Club, which seeks to encourage women to fight ignorance by education and empowering one another, arranged the event. The president of the club senior Izzy Jackson chose DA Singas to be the first part of the Women’s Empowerment speaker series because she admired her perseverance and believed that her experiences deserved to be shared with Schreiber students.

“Hearing from a powerful woman like DA Singas empowers girls and boys, and shows them the difference they can make,” said Jackson.

The Women’s Empowerment Club spent months writing letters and calling DA Singas’ office to have her as a guest at Schreiber. She eventually agreed to come in as she saw this as an opportunity to share her knowledge and experience.

The main piece of advice that DA Singas gave to her young audience was to follow their dreams, regardless of the obstacles that might stop you along the way.  She relays the same message to her twin children, whom she seeks to raise to become independent, driven, and, most importantly, kind people.

DA Singas stated that she believes that if everyone puts our best foot forward to positively impact the world, we can achieve amazing things.

“She motivated kids that don’t come from much, to follow what they are passionate about, and become successful,” said junior Dee Neocleous.

Following this ideology, DA Singas added that she has a great deal of faith in the younger generation. She also stated that the younger generation has already taken initiative in so many causes, including gun violence, equal gender rights, and environmental awareness.

Many students who attended the event claim that hearing DA Singas speak was inspiring, as they thought that her points and messages were very prevalent to their lives.

“I thought she was really motivational and inspiring. She came from a similar area and is completely self-made,”  said sophomore Teddy Steinberg.  “Her background and success was very touching not only to me, but it seemed to everyone else who attended, too.”