The Patricia A. Whitely Women’s Leadership Symposium returns to its traditional in-person format on Friday at 4 p.m. in the Shalala Student Center with a full lineup of engaging sessions, networking opportunities, and a keynote address by Katherine Fernandez-Rundle, state attorney for Miami-Dade County.
This year’s theme, brainstormed by the student-led committee, is “Unbreakable,” and is a timely response as the world begins to emerge from the pandemic. Its creation was the result of careful and considerate conversations on how the planning team wanted their peers to experience the half-day conference.
“It’s an extremely collaborative process. We’ve tried to take everything that we’ve experienced after the pandemic and focus on our resiliency and ability to overcome the obstacles women face,” said Mary Weber, a junior studying psychology and a co-chair of the student committee—which is comprised of all female-identifying students. “When shaping the event, we pick women who have had an impact on our lives because, as a student leader, it is important to think of what we ourselves would like out of the experience.”
In addition to the symposium’s theme, the student committee identifies campus and community professionals to present and speak on a variety of topics that fit within the event’s overall focus. Fernandez-Rundle is the first Cuban state attorney and a proud University of Miami alumna. Attendees will hear her story of overcoming life’s obstacles to achieve her dreams.
“Everybody experiences hardships, not just women. We wanted to ensure the theme was broad and inclusive to all within the gender spectrum,” said Esther Alexandre, a junior majoring in computer engineering and also a co-chair of the committee.
The committee understands its important role in representing the needs of their peers, which is why they use their own experiences to craft the event with students in mind.
“Our planning starts in the fall, meeting bi-weekly. From then, it is our students who reach out to secure professionals, contact sponsors to help support the event, and execute their vision,” said Collette Mighty, assistant director of the Butler Center for Service and Leadership and advisor to the student planning committee.
This Friday, students can listen in on powerful conversations and enjoy networking workshops with impactful women in the University community and beyond. In turn, they can also learn from their fellow peers and the broad outlets across campus.
“The symposium celebrates a diversity of ideas through the representation of various areas on campus. For students, I hope that they can witness this diversity while networking with students you wouldn’t have otherwise met,” added Alexandre.
