To fulfill a need for female wellness and career education, students and staff pooled resources to organize the 2021 Women’s Symposium on November 10, featuring many guest speakers.
Guests from the surrounding area gathered to share their personal stories and descriptions of their livelihoods with girls in multiple disciplines.
From state police to local gym owners to social workers and psychologists, the Women’s Symposium offered the opportunity to hear many different speakers.
According to assistant principal Ellen Sykes, this year’s symposium was geared towards careers and physical wellness.
“The girls expressed an interest in wellness this year, so we made an effort to bring in some women to talk about that,” Sykes said. “We also always have women who have been successful in their fields come in to speak with the girls.”
The opportunity to speak to younger girls was “exhilarating,” according to guest speaker Allison Garrett. Garrett is an author and entrepreneur.
“I speak a lot with adult women, but getting to speak with women who are younger almost feels like setting them up with new information that they didn’t necessarily have before,” Garrett said.
Along with that, some of the speakers found the experience of talking with these young women to be inspiring.
“To me, this is why I do what I do,” Judge Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio said. “It was inspiring.” Carluccio was a keynote speaker.
The guest speakers came in to share their stories and advice.
The most prominent piece of advice among many of the speakers was the concept of self-acceptance and motivation.
“Mostly what I’ve been sharing is to be authentic, and to find who you really are,” Garrett said.
Agreeing with Garrett, Carluccio said, “Always have confidence in yourself, and don’t feel intimidated that what you have to say is not important.”
Guest speaker and state police officer Danea Durham came to shed light on “life in general” to the young women attending the symposium.
“I wanted to help by telling them about college, career paths and generally what happens when you get out there,” Durham said.
Some emphasized that the idea of being a woman in a male-dominated field can be tough; however, “We’re all just people,” keynote speaker and Executive Director of the Montgomery County Bar Association Denise Vicario said.
“I used to be the only woman [in my office,] and now I don’t even think about it. I’m just another person in the room trying to make good decisions,” Vicario said.
The idea for the Women’s Symposium came from female students expressing interest in an event catered to them.
It all comes from the girls,” Sykes said. “I mostly sit back and oversee. [The ambassadors] do most of the work.”To fulfill a need for female wellness and career education, students and staff pooled resources to organize the 2021 Women’s Symposium on November 10, featuring many guest speakers.
Guests from the surrounding area gathered to share their personal stories and descriptions of their livelihoods with girls in multiple disciplines.
From state police to local gym owners to social workers and psychologists, the Women’s Symposium offered the opportunity to hear many different speakers.
According to assistant principal Ellen Sykes, this year’s symposium was geared towards careers and physical wellness.
“The girls expressed an interest in wellness this year, so we made an effort to bring in some women to talk about that,” Sykes said. “We also always have women who have been successful in their fields come in to speak with the girls.”
The opportunity to speak to younger girls was “exhilarating,” according to guest speaker Allison Garrett. Garrett is an author and entrepreneur.
“I speak a lot with adult women, but getting to speak with women who are younger almost feels like setting them up with new information that they didn’t necessarily have before,” Garrett said.
Along with that, some of the speakers found the experience of talking with these young women to be inspiring.
“To me, this is why I do what I do,” Judge Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio said. “It was inspiring.” Carluccio was a keynote speaker.
The guest speakers came in to share their stories and advice.
The most prominent piece of advice among many of the speakers was the concept of self-acceptance and motivation.
“Mostly what I’ve been sharing is to be authentic, and to find who you really are,” Garrett said.
Agreeing with Garrett, Carluccio said, “Always have confidence in yourself, and don’t feel intimidated that what you have to say is not important.”
Guest speaker and state police officer Danea Durham came to shed light on “life in general” to the young women attending the symposium.
“I wanted to help by telling them about college, career paths and generally what happens when you get out there,” Durham said.
Some emphasized that the idea of being a woman in a male-dominated field can be tough; however, “We’re all just people,” keynote speaker and Executive Director of the Montgomery County Bar Association Denise Vicario said.
“I used to be the only woman [in my office,] and now I don’t even think about it. I’m just another person in the room trying to make good decisions,” Vicario said.
The idea for the Women’s Symposium came from female students expressing interest in an event catered to them.
It all comes from the girls,” Sykes said. “I mostly sit back and oversee. [The ambassadors] do most of the work.”