Today is International Women's Day and to all the women reading this right now, I wish you a happy women's day and month! Please celebrate all your successes and appreciate the value you have in each and every one of your teams. With today's celebration, I wanted to look back on an incredible opportunity I participated in on the last week of January. I think that this was such an amazing avenue to get to know more like-minded women and discover more about myself and my peers.
If you haven't heard about it yet, the Big 10 Women’s Leadership Conference and Monarch Leadership Conference was held at Purdue last January 31st to February 1st. Being part of the Brock Wilson Center allowed me to participate in these events, and long story short– I feel so inspired and energized.
First and foremost, the Big 10 Women’s Leadership Conference was filled with impactful sessions from incredible speakers. This included Patrick Lenihan and Patrick Mosher who shared their success stories and how we can grow, whether it be by implementing the best practices in our day-to-day life or elevating our team through collaborative reflection. Nikki Miller, our keynote speaker, encouraged us to pursue our dreams unapologetically, reminding us that as women, we can and should be able to prioritize ourselves.
The weekend wrapped up with the Monarch Leadership Conference, where keynote speakers Jocelyn Wong and Stacey Burr shared invaluable career advice. I was so amazed with these two speakers as they both touched on incredibly significant topics as women who have navigated and continue to navigate their careers. Specifically, Jocelyn emphasized that a career is a long, winding road filled with tough decisions, and the key to steering it successfully is knowing your value. Moreover, Stacey highlighted the power we hold in shaping our own direction by being intentional in any position we are in. I also had the privilege to attend breakout sessions with Naomi Kwang and Kristen Nagel wherein the importance of inclusive leadership and unlocking our full potential by embracing authenticity were emphasized.
This weekend, my objective was to learn, and so I did. Every session, every conversation, and every experience contributed to my growth and reinforced that learning isn’t about succeeding or failing; it’s about gaining new perspectives and rising above barriers together. My key takeaway is that we all have earned our spots at the table, and there is enough space for everyone at the top. As Director of Newsletter for the Brock-Wilson Center for Women in Business, I also wrote about January’s newsletter edition, and I’m grateful that I had the chance to highlight these incredible learnings!
I am so excited to attend more events like this in the future as I truly learned so much. Now, for those who want to experience an equally enlightening opportunity, don't be afraid to reach out to your peers, professors, and the like. Make use of your Purdue network because they are there to help you out and serve as a multifaceted resource. Again, happy women's day to all the women out there and continue celebrating YOU!