Female faculty members and students celebrated Women’s History Month with a luncheon and
an award ceremony on Tuesday, March 12.
Student Life, United Students Government and Positive United Ladies Striving to Elevate hosted
the lunch in the E.H. Butler Library. Students and faculty members were asked to nominate
a female student or faculty member who inspired them. According to a press release, each
nominee had to have community service or volunteer experience, be involved in at least one
group or organization on campus and be viewed as a leader.
Nominations were accepted from Feb. 18 until Feb. 27.
All of the nominees were celebrated at the luncheon, and five honorees were highlighted.
The five honorees were chosen by a committee headed by USG and Andrea Wright, the
administrative vice president for student life.
“Every person was nominated by a different person,” Wright said. “The nominator had to write a
250 word speech about why they empowered that person.”
Four students Adza Beda, Jasmine Milton, Deirdre Reynolds and Danisha Mateo, and one staff
member were chosen as the honorees to be highlighted.
“We wanted to highlight students who were really making strides whether personally or
academically,” said Tamara McMillan, associate director of student life.
The staff member chosen as an honoree was Yanick Jenkins, the director of the educational
opportunity program.
According to Wright, the peer nomination process proved to be an effective method for choosing
the honorees.
“From an undergrad point of view, the people who pick the undergrad [honorees] should be
undergrads,” Wright said.
“The idea was for a student to nominate a student because we know that with the peer
nomination, it is even more rewarding,” said McMillan.
The theme of the luncheon was about empowering women on and off campus.
“We have to hold on to the dynamic women who have come before us,” McMillan said.
“It’s nice to know that somebody is recognizing you for doing something good in your
community,” Wright said.
McMillan said that although PULSE may be unknown to many on campus, this organization can
have a big impact on campus.
“PULSE is a student organization on campus that kind of gets at some of the issues that affect
us as women,” McMillan said.
Wright also said that she hopes this event will continue each year.
“I hope to have it happen again,” Wright said. “It made a lot of women happy.”
Wright encourages students and faculty to nominate women for this event for next time
“Nothing goes ignored,” said Wright “You can inspire anybody at any time with just a
simple ‘hello’. Good deeds don’t go unseen.”
Britney Nowak can be reached by email at nowak.record@live.com.