The theme says it all: “Learn, Inspire, and Engage.” The recent Women in Leadership conference was designed to deliver on three goals: hosting workshops to “Learn” from industry experts, bringing together a distinguished panel to “Inspire,” and creating an environment to “Engage” with 25 mentors from various industries. For its sixth year, the March 7th event was timed to occur during Women’s History Month, first officially celebrated in 1987 by Congress after a series of movements dating back to 1911. With over 300 students, alumni, and community members in attendance, the conference was co-sponsored by FSU’s College of Communication and Information, the College of Business, the College of Social Work, and the Jim Moran School for Entrepreneurship.
“Learn”
Workshops were designed based on feedback from the 2018 event to reflect the requests of audience members. This year, the 40-minute workshops focused on various topics led by industry experts. Topics included:
Getting Involved with Advocacy- Mapping Career Strategies
- Finding a Work-Life Balance
- Public Speaking Techniques/Tips
- Financial Planning 101
- Tech for All – Options for Women
- Civic Engagement
- Negotiations
- Engaging your Community Locally
CCI student Bridget Kabacinski (President of the WISE student organization) attended for her second time; she said, “This year reinforced what I heard at the previous event; it allowed me to connect with other students, alumni, mentors, faculty, and community members to share ideas and learn together.”
Student organizer Rhiannon Jacobson was also inspired to attend for the second time. She reflected, “coming together to educate and empower women of all ages inspires me to focus more on how I can contribute on campus.”
“Inspire”
The main panel selected to inspire the audience included many women with a focus on public service and government.
- Kathleen Daly, Associate Vice President for University Relations, FSU
- Holly Raschein, State Representative – District 120, Florida House
- Nina Ashenafi Richardson, Leon County Judge
- Kristin Dozier, Leon County Commissioner
Claudia Villegas, 71st Student Senate President Pro Tempore, served as the moderator of the panel. Claudia was excited to be a part of the event. She said, “being in the room with all these accomplished women allows me to learn and grow.”
Judge Richardson summarized the strength of this event when she identified that supporting each other is an integral part of leadership for every woman. She said, “we would not be sitting here in elected office but for women supporting us and giving us that opportunity to lead.”
“Engage”
Student organizations and community groups were available for attendees to talk to and join. The goal was to encourage people to connect and engage in public service. Twenty-five mentors that reflected various industries also made themselves available to talk with and guide participants. Groups included:
- FAMU FSU Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Women in IT/ICT Sharing Experiences (WISE)
- CHAARG
- Women Wednesdays
- HerCampus FSU
- Women in Business (WIB)
- Women in Pre-Law Society (WIPS)
- Tallahassee Woman Magazine
- Girls on the Run (GOTR)
- The Children’s Campaign
- Ladies Learning to Lead (L3)
- Women in Technology International (WITI)
- The Oasis Center for Women & Girls
- Women 4 FSU
- Voices for Florida
- Junior League of Tallahassee
Many of our previous panelists were involved and served as mentors. They included:
- Ashley Augustine, Technology Careers
- Shelby Boyd, Public Relations
- Krista Campbell, Work/Life Balance
- Wendi Cannon, IT Careers
- Jessica Clark, Project Management
- Elizabeth Croney, Entrepreneurship
- Michelle Dahnke, Health Policy/Consulting
- Virginia Dailey, Legal Issues
- Gabrielle K. Gabrielli, Ph.D. Leadership
- Bob Garner, Negotiations and Franchising
- Alexis Gayda, Marketing/Social Media
- Lynn Hatter, Communication/Journalism
- Ranata Hughes, PR/Higher Education
- Cristina Larkin, Ascending to the C Suite
- Lansing Lewis, Product Development and Branding
- Sandy Soto, Retail Entrepreneurship and Career Advice
- Denishia Sword, Corporate Communication
- Barbara Wescott, Women in Tech
- Melissa Wright, Financial Planning
According to the College of Communication and Information Dean Larry Dennis, “This event provides opportunities to grow, share, and network with other women; in our sixth year, our College will continue its support of our students and our alumni, and we will continue to be a part of the conversation and effort as we go forward.”
See below for a video recapping the conference.