Closing Ceremony Address by Patricia Gonzalez, 4.29.2011
Four years ago, there was a perception on this campus that women were catty, jealous, competitive, focused, academically unmotivated, and lacked the skills to navigate various professional and social spheres. However, some of those very women talked to Calvin Gantt, AOP director, about finding a place where they could learn to be leaders. Thus, the Women’s Leadership Institute was established.
Through development sessions, networking opportunities, community service, mentoring, and support sessions, women on this campus found a place where their leadership skills could be strengthened while exploring their identities as individuals and collectively as women.
Four years ago, I did not imagine that WLI would become not just an organization; not just a group of women having “girl talk”, but a tremendous force on this campus.
I did not imagine that we would be providing housing for two Haitian families, or school supplies for girls in Tanzania, or mentoring for teenagers ages 12-17 in Rochester. I did not imagine that we would work collectively to raise $500 to battle congenital heart defects in babies.
I did not imagine that these women would ENJOY having people come in to tell them the appropriate way to dress, or how to network, or how to advocate for themselves as women. I thought they would mostly want to talk about boys, and school, and maybe their parents. But they did all this and more.
Most of all, I did not imagine that, in four years, I would finally see myself as a leader. Not the kind of leader that forces people to follow her, but the kind that people want to work with.
After four years, we have come full circle. We have experienced challenges, stress, fun, and personal and professional growth. We have embodied the ideal woman leader in our interactions with faculty, staff, administrators, guests, and alumni. We have embraced the truth about ourselves, and that we don’t need to strive for perfection, but we must allow for mistakes, because they are always our greatest teachers.
The Women’s Leadership Institute hasn’t only changed the negative perceptions of women on this campus; it has changed my perception of myself. It has changed each young woman’s perception of herself.
For all of our supporters here–thank you for always being there for our students. For Liz Seager, Caroline Whelan, Cynthia Oswald, thank you for taking the time to meet with the ladies on a Saturday. We truly appreciate you. For Tom Matthews, thank you so much for your support of the women through the Women’s Conference, and through our year-long collaboration with the GOLD program. To the AOP department, thank you for always cheering me on when I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off!
For all of the participants, thank you. Thank you for your time, your energy, your love, your kind words for me and for each other.
For the PD team. Words cannot express how much you mean to me. So all I will say now is that you have not only touched my heart, you have touched my very soul. You have helped me become the woman I am today.
Thank you all for the most amazing year of WLI! We have come full circle!!!
