by Kelly Rogge, KCKCC
The summer started off with some travel for four Kansas City Kansas Community College students as they were among the 900 attendees at the National Conference of Women Student Leaders earlier this month at the University of Maryland-College Park.
Maddie Nesselhuf, Jolene Morel, Haylee Richmond and Nadza White attended the annual event, which attracts students from across throughout the United States each year.
Hilary Corna, founder of the online #DareYourself campaign and author of “One White Face,” delivered the opening address June 3. Franchesca Ramsey of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore gave the closing keynote address when the conference ended June 4.
“After talking with some of the students, I know their trip to Washington, D.C., was worth it,” said Sarah Jones, Intercultural Center coordinator at KCKCC. “They were inspired not only by famous speakers like Judith Love Cohen, a Hubble telescope designer, but also by women conference attendees like themselves who shared their spark for learning and leadership.”
Presented by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the conference also featured the 2016 Women of Distinction Awards ceremony. Awardees were selected for their extraordinary contributions to their professions or communities.
This year’s honorees were Kimberly Bryant, founder of Black Girls Code; Marisa Demeo, associate judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; Anu Duggal, founding partner of Female Founders Fund (F Cubed); Sarah McBride, campaigns and communications manager for the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress and Kelly Tsai, writer, performer, director and producer.
The goal of the AAUW is to empower women as individuals and as a community. Created in 1881, the group works to help improve the lives of women and their families in the United States through research, campus leadership program, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, workshops and other leadership programs.
“Students met other women who are passionate about creating change at our conference. They left with a strong network, new ideas and enthusiasm to take their activism to the next level,” said AAUW Chief Executive Officer Linda D. Hallman. “AAUW is committed to preparing the next generation of women leaders and to ensure that women have access to leadership roles in all sectors of our society.”
Now in its 31st year, NCCWSL has drawn high-profile speakers and newsmakers since its inception, including Chelsea Clinton, Tony Award-winning playwright Eve Ensler, Olympic gold medalist Dominque Dawes, NPR’s Michel Martin and Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code. Each year nearly 1,000 college and university students attend the two-and-a-half-day event, which includes skill-building workshops, networking, and volunteering. Participants also had the opportunity to connect with inspiring speakers, graduate schools, and potential employers.
For more information on the AAUW, contact Sarah Jones at 913-288-7375 or by email at [email protected].
Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at KCKCC.