SNHU and its departments often try to find ways to empower their students and give them opportunities to learn new and useful skills that they will be able to use in their careers. The Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center gave SNHU students this opportunity on Saturday, October 27 when they hosted their second annual Women’s Leadership Conference from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The purpose of this conference was to provide an environment for self reflection and learning. The evnt provided educational sessions about topics such as building communication and leadership skills, but there were also sessions that revolved around reflecting on oneself like “Mindfully Unbalanced” and “What Beyonce Teaches Us About Feminism.” This created a combination learning environment which allowed attendees to learn necessary information with a fun twist.
There were approximately 60 individuals who attended. Brooke Gilmore, the director of the Deborah L. Coffin Women’s Center, feels that this conference was very successful. She checked in with the attendees throughout the day and she feels “that everybody seems to have gotten a lot out of all the sessions they went to.”
Emily Orciuch (’22) felt that she left the conference with a new insight on how “to work with other women” and “own [her] awesomeness and not be apologetic.” This was a main theme throughout the conference. It was centered around building skills and creating a space for networking opportunities, but the individuals who attended also felt empowered after leaving.
The presenters shared the positive attitude about their involvement in this conference. Gilmore said that “the presenters seemed to feel good about what they presented and the feedback they were given” from those who attended their individual sessions. The six main sessions were fantastic, but the keynote speaker Amma Marfo blew everyone away. She gave creative and astute insight on how an individual can capitalize on their own creative energy to make opportunities for themselves and others in their industries.
The Women’s Leadership Conference provided a shared community between the attendees so that they could openly discuss the difficulties women face and how to combat these issues. This environment created a wave of empowerment throughout the attendees.
