A Note from Erin,
This month’s newsletter is full of pertinent dates and information that I think you will find very useful. The beauty of this “member-driven” network is watching different women engaging at different levels. I see friendships being developed, professional networks being established, career support, and personal investments in one another. Thank you to Jennifer Bean, Mallory Santa Cruz, Kassandra Cruz, Kaitlin Dietrich, Intern Erin Hernandez, and Intern Amber Stone for all that you do for the girls and women in Women Who Succeed!
Members Spotlight
Beatryx “Bea” Washington
Bea is the SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary for O.C. Tanner, the leading employee culture and recognition provider. Bea’s legal career spans various industries including, crisis communications, aerospace, nuclear services, nutritional supplements and SaaS.
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Melisa Griffith
Melisa Griffith has always had a passion for working with girls and women to help them see their worth and become financially independent. As the Development Director for The D. Gary Young, Young Living Foundation, Melisa loves igniting excitement around women’s empowerment and education
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Mornigstar Danford
Hello my name is Mornigstar Danford I am from Vernal Utah. I attend Uintah high school as a senior. Something about me: I love being around family, friends, and new people. I love challenges, I play more than one sport but I focus mainly on basketball.
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Your Dollars Have Impact
It has been a pivotal month for Women Who Succeed as we see your dollars fueling our important events and kicking off the mentorship program. It is so exciting to see our collective resources provide growth and meaningful experiences for our network of girls and young women! As membership recruitment wraps up, we can turn our financial focus toward scholarships and sponsorships.
We will be holding our first Scholarship Committee meeting on Friday, September 10th to help determine eligibility criteria, outline selection guidelines, and strategize fund development. Based on our initial revenue goal we would like to raise $100,000 for our scholarship fund, which in a sample scenario could mean Women Who Succeed affords the ability to offer 50 girls a $2,000 scholarship. Now that’s impact! Please reach out before September 8th if you are interested in helping us make these important decisions!
If you or your company would like to become a sponsor of our good work, let’s talk! Our work aligns so nicely with corporations and businesses who care about: STEM, education, community enhancement, workforce readiness, women leadership, and much more! I look forward to getting to know you all as donors, what drives your engagement, and how your corporate and personal dollars can continue to spread our mission deep and wide! I’ll watch for your email at jenniferb@sieutah.org.
Remember, every dollar gets us that much closer to pulling a young woman off our mentee waitlist or extending a scholarship to a girl with a bright opportunity!
Event Updates
Image Photo Shoot
A special thank you to Brandy Vega and Vega Media Studios for hosting our Women Who Succeed Image Photo Shoot on August 12th. We had such a fabulous time networking, connecting with one another, and smiling for the camera! We loved working with Randy from Radiant Image Photography and are thrilled with the final product.
Please watch for individual headshots to be emailed to you, as well as a brief slide show offering a sneak peek of the images that will be used on our updated website and marketing collateral.
Diamonds on Ice Signature Soiree
Good thing the ice cubes aren’t melting yet! After consulting with several community partners as well as health leaders in our network, we have decided out of an abundance of caution to reschedule our annual fundraising event for FEBRUARY 3, 2022. We support our community’s call to social distance and be cautious as COVID-19 numbers have recently been on the rise. Don’t worry, your favorite opportunities to support Women Who Succeed will still be there and we’ll begin sending updates in early December.
Living Outside of Your Box Virtual Event
We are excited to gather virtually for a happy hour of laughter and personal development! Join us as you wrap up your day for a short improv act, small group activity in breakout sessions, and a keynote speaker that ties it all together! Please watch your email for a calendar invite with details. RSVP and receive a special package in the mail that includes your activity instructions (only 5 mins of prep needed!) and a few other treats that will challenge us to expand our expectations by understanding our personal value and remind us that the key to leadership lies not in what we do, but in who we are. You won’t want to miss this chance to unwind together and learn from each other!
Please RSVP at: https://wwsoutsideofyourbox.eventbrite.com
August Mentorships Workshop!
College & Career Readiness through the Keys to Success app!
It was our pleasure to invite Keys to Success- a program of Success in Education- to host our first monthly Women Who Succeed workshop! Caitlin Thomas, the Keys to Success Program Manager shared valuable information about Utah’s #1 college and career readiness app. Young women mentees learned about the $160M in scholarships available to Utah students through the app, as well as access to career assessments, financial aid support, FAFSA tutorials, and more! Students are rewarded in the app for each engagement with these opportunities and resources. Awarded points may be redeemed for fun prizes, such as free meals at Chick-Fil-A, free passes to Thanksgiving Point, or free tickets to Tuacahn theater! Keys to Success rewards students for each step they take on their path towards personal success.
Through a series of breakout sessions, mentees discussed what resources have been most beneficial in their college and career preparation, and what challenges they have experienced. Together they joined into small groups for a “Scholarship Scavenger Hunt”, with prizes awarded to the team that found the most scholarship funding, and a special prize given to the group that identified the most unique scholarship! The workshop wrapped up with a discussion about leadership opportunities through the Keys to Success program.
Workshop attendees stated:
Tierra Easterday: I would like to figure out what I want to do and am excited to see how the app can help me out with that!
Bridgette Madsen: One takeaway that I had was that there are so many scholarships, they aren’t just the usual ones. You can apply for a scholarship, and find a scholarship, for any set of interests.
Katherine Lelepali: I am going to apply for scholarships regularly through Keys to Success, so that I am prepared for college.
Laurel Johnson: I learned that I’m not the only one needing help with the future, and that it is great for everyone to help each other out!
Many thanks to the women members and mentors that attended in support of the young women. Your insights were greatly valued, and we appreciated hearing about opportunities from the community, including Jennie Tanner’s technical scholarships offered through Professional Women in Building and The House That She Built!
We look forward to presenting an exciting series of workshops and encourage you to join us next month! The next workshop will be held on Thursday, September 23rd from 5:30-6:30 pm via Zoom and will provide a tutorial on how to develop a LinkedIn profile that will build your network, supporting academic and professional growth. Both mentees and members are welcome to attend.
Register here to reserve your spot!https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-who-succeed-september-workshop-creating-a-linkedin-profile-tickets-169353548021
Community Partner Spotlight
Women’s Leadership Initiative
The Women’s Leadership Institute is a business-led, 501(c)3 organization started by key business leaders in January 2015. The mission of WLI is to elevate the stature and talents of women in business and in politics. The organization is led by former business owner and legislator, Patricia Jones. WLI’s keystone is the elevateHER Challenge, a corporate challenge to help organizations navigate not only the why but the how to elevate women.
The Women’s Leadership Institute is recognized as an effective agent for change and acknowledgement that gender diversity adds significant value to the success of organizations. The Women’s Leadership Institute is providing essential connections and training in today’s tight job market. WLI’s board is comprised of male and female business and political leaders, as men are considered allies and advocates of women. The organization helps companies embed their commitment to elevating women by providing leadership development through its Career Development Series and Political Development Series. For more information, check out the WLI website at: wliut.com
Members Spotlight cont.
Beatryx “Bea” Washington cont.
Bea received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southern Illinois University and a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law. Bea has been honored as Utah Business Magazine’s Utah Legal Elite in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. She also received Utah Business Magazine’s Corporate Counsel Award and the Utah Minority Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel of the Year, in 2019. Bea currently serves on the board of Ballet West, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, Salt Lake Community College Foundation and the Waterford School.
Bea loves to travel with her family. She is an adventurous foodie who also enjoys cooking. She lives in South Jordan with her husband and two children.
Bea joined Women Who Succeed because “I believe that representation matters. Women and people of color are still breaking barriers. Seeing someone who looks like you in a leadership role can be extremely powerful and inspiring. Getting to learn from their experiences and mistakes is priceless. I fully expect that these young women will become role models for my daughter.”
Melisa Griffith cont.
Her favorite part of her role is supporting women artisans around the world by connecting their unique trades and handcrafted goods to a global marketplace of compassionate Young Living customers. Melisa has also applied her passions for educating individuals on complex social issues by leading impact trips to Cambodia, Uganda, Ecuador, Nepal, and the US, because she loves bringing to life the tremendous value and impact each contribution can have on those in need. Before joining the Young Living Foundation, Melisa worked at the University of Utah Athletic Department for five years in Development and Corporate Sponsorships where she loved connecting with fellow U of U donors and fans.
I joined WWS because it really is about women supporting women, no matter what chapter of life they are in. It’s exciting seeing strong women from different backgrounds come together to uplift one another.
In her personal time, she enjoys mentoring students through Women Who Succeed and tutoring seventh grade students in math. And when she’s not serving her community, you can find her enjoying the great outdoors kayaking or biking with her dog, Cooper.
Mornigstar Danford cont.
Some things I want to do during my lifetime is travel the world and learn more about different cultures. As I begin and finish my last year of high school, this is the time I will start looking at colleges, get to know what I want to do. And Women Who Succeed is the perfect group to do this with. I’m looking forward to being mentored by these powerful women. The success they have accomplished and still are, I know they will lead me in the right direction to a big and bright future. I am so excited to get started and find my purpose in life!
