Congresswomen, professors and authors aim to inspire students in
a conference dedicated to promoting women’s leadership in the
community.
The seventh annual Women’s Leadership Conference is hosted
by the Bruin Belles Service Association, a student group dedicated
to community service and the promotion of women’s
leadership.
The conference will be held on Sunday, named by the city council
as the county’s Day of Women’s Leadership, in Ackerman
Grand Ballroom. It is being held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., and is
open to the public with free admission.
The conference, called “Mechanisms for Change,” will
include keynote speeches by Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, pediatrics
Professor Daphne Calmes, and law Professor Frances Olsen.
“I am thrilled to be speaking,” said Sanchez in a
statement. “I think it is important for women to share their
life experiences, challenges and accomplishments with other
women.”
Among the activities planned for the day are workshop sessions
discussing women’s issues and a resource fair with
information about campus organizations and opportunities.
A unique feature of this year’s conference is the
participation of the first-ever sisters in Congress. Congresswoman
Loretta Sanchez, sister of Linda Sanchez, will be a speaker in a
panel discussion following keynote speeches.
“My sister and I are the first women of any relation to
ever serve in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Linda
Sanchez said. “I want to help more women get involved in
politics.
“I hope on Sunday we can find a few more future
congresswomen,” she added.
Speakers will discuss personal stories of obstacles faced and
lessons learned.
“I am going to talk about possibilities for life as an
activist,” said Olsen.
Olsen said that her message will focus on encouraging students
to be courageous and realize their options.
“I hope that people will come out of the conference
feeling better than when they went into the conference,” she
said.
“I hope also they will come out of it having more of a
sense of the wide range of options and possibilities around them as
well as, of course, an increasing sense that what you do really
does matter,” Olsen added.
Other speakers in the panel discussion include Jennifer Yee, a
lecturer in the School of Education, and Susan Casey, author of
“Women Invent.”
“We are excited to have a very diverse conference that
addresses issues that everyone can be interested in,” said
Kristina Hoot, fourth-year student and president of Bruin
Belles.
Those who have attended previous conferences say their
experiences were memorable.
“My first year that I went I left feeling so
inspired,” said Lauren Adamo, a fourth-year student and Bruin
Belles member. “It made me feel that I could do anything I
put my mind to.”
A crowd of 250 people is expected this year.
“I would encourage everyone to attend, male and female, to
get more perspectives about issues that women face, and it will be
a good opportunity to learn about opportunities for women,”
Hoot said.