Jeanie Balli and Terri Longoria met their life-long friends through Hi-Fairneesee, one of the longest running Hispanic girls’ clubs in the country.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Hi-Fairnessee Girls Club is a mentorship organization that has preserved its legacy for 93-years.
We sat down with elite members to uncover the secret behind its long-lasting success.
“The original charter members…my great aunt was the first president.”
Dating back to 1931 and established at Corpus Christi High School, now known as Roy Miller High School, their motto, according to Terri Longoria, “Reach your goal.”
Longoria joined Hi-Fairnessee in 1963 and says a high school diploma was a goal not reached by many in the Hispanic community at that time and the club was formed as a support system to help one another reach their goals.
“It was very hard to stay in school and it was a sacrifice and those that did it was a big deal in your family, but they promoted the next group to continue.”
And continue it did. Hi-Fairnessee is considered one of the longest running Hispanic girls clubs in the country. But it didn’t start off that way.
Longoria says it was once a co-ed club.
“It originally started with guys. Boys and girls. But they kicked out the boys because they weren’t very cooperative,” she said.
Boys out. Girls in. The group of young latinas supported each other through many struggles. Improvising when needed to provide a positive experience for all
“These dresses after they wore them the first time they dyed them another color for the next event.”
Jeanie Balli is another member of the group. She told 3NEWS she joined Hi-Fairnessee in 1949 and found a sisterhood that she needed.
“I had my dress made. My aunt made it for me,” she recalled while looking at old memorabilia from the club’s near 100-year history.
“I was never criticized we were just like sisters. It’s a family thing.”
The experiences the girls shared created an unbreakable bond the secret behind this long-lasting legacy organization.
“Some of my best friends…my comadres, said Balli of the woman she first met all those years ago. “We baptize each other’s kids.”
It’s that support that starts with Hi-Fairnesse but lasts after Hi-Fairnessee.
“It’s been a long long ride,” she laughed.
You can visit the Hi-Fairnessee special collections and archives at the Mary and Jeff Bell Library at Texas A&M University Corpus christi. If you would like information about membership visit the Hi-Fairnessee social media pages.
