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Thursday, March 28, 2024
NEWS  |  CAMPUS

‘Woman Up’: WSA’s hosts 32nd annual Women’s Leadership Conference

<p>(Left to right) Panelists Julia Van de Bogart, Mira Lowe, Sana Nimer, Diana Moreno and Dhara Patel talk with a UF Women’s Student Association member about women empowerment in the workplace, women standing up for themselves and encouraging other women during a discussion Sunday in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. About 70 people attended the talk.</p>

(Left to right) Panelists Julia Van de Bogart, Mira Lowe, Sana Nimer, Diana Moreno and Dhara Patel talk with a UF Women’s Student Association member about women empowerment in the workplace, women standing up for themselves and encouraging other women during a discussion Sunday in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. About 70 people attended the talk.

Simone Boyce doesn’t take no for an answer as a journalist.

Instead, she uses it to invigorate herself to do better.

On Sunday, Boyce, who is a host for the streaming digital news network NBC News Signal and UF alumna, was a keynote speaker at the 32nd Women’s Leadership Conference, hosted by the Women’s Student Association at UF in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom.

About 70 people attended the two-and-a-half-hour event, which gave audience members the opportunity to ask questions and interact with Boyce and a panel of fi ve women in leadership roles at UF.

After experiencing rejection early in her professional career, Boyce offered words of encouragement to young women looking to be successful.

“Rejection can be an incredible catalyst for self-reflection and change,” she said.

This year’s conference focused on the concept of “Woman Up,” a phrase that encourages women to pursue leadership roles while supporting one another.

The speakers were not paid to attend the event, said 22-year-old coconference director and UF health education senior Pamela McFarlane.

Men usually speak up in a classroom setting, McFarlane said. Women should know that they can develop their own voice.

“It’s not about having women in leadership just for the sake of it,” said McFarlane. “Diverse teams drive innovation and creative thinking.”

Elise Felt, an 18-year-old UF geology freshman, was empowered by the event to take a stand for herself.

“I’m a quiet person,” Felt said. “Everyone around you has more to say and it’s hard to speak up.”

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As a black woman, 21-year-old Abigail Cherubin, a UF journalism junior who helped with the event, felt that the conference acknowledged the struggles of women in marginalized communities.

“We all have different identities and with that we can provide creative decisions,” she said. “Having different kinds of women reflected in leadership positions can result in more impactful work.”

(Left to right) Panelists Julia Van de Bogart, Mira Lowe, Sana Nimer, Diana Moreno and Dhara Patel talk with a UF Women’s Student Association member about women empowerment in the workplace, women standing up for themselves and encouraging other women during a discussion Sunday in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. About 70 people attended the talk.

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