A Note from Erin,
I have been thinking about the wonderful organizations in our state that are supporting and uplifting women! Some are focused on research, some on development of women in the business setting, some on women’s financial growth and independence, and some on women’s representation in the political arenas. I believe each of these organizations are critical to the landscape of improving educational and economic status of women in our state and I applaud each and every one of them! I am grateful that I see business leaders, male and female, stepping forward and advocating for equality of women’s pay, status and leadership. I am also grateful how hard our post-secondary education institutions work to assist young women to finish their degrees. It certainly takes a village! I am proud of Women Who Succeed as it is crosses all these groups, but more importantly reaches down to middle school age girls and focuses on high school young women to aspire high, to build their confidence and leadership abilities, and to complete their post-secondary education. I am mostly proud that all of you have stepped forward with your family’s needs, demanding careers, and social calendars to carve out time for young women across our state. Some of you provide financial assistance through your membership gift, some have your company sponsor an event, others are mentors or lead workshops, and others serve on committees such as scholarship, Girls Give Back, or Diamonds on Ice. Whatever you do, we are thankful! November is the perfect month to express gratitude and I hope you receive my “thank you” fully from the heart!
Mamma Mia!
Last month we launched the Mamma Mia Fundraiser event on Tuesday, December 19th. Your purchase of two tickets ($500 each) will provide a scholarship to a young woman in the Women Who Succeed program who is trying to complete their post-secondary education. We are still looking for dancing queens to join us and we are offering extra incentive. Purchase tickets for this event and your $1,000 donation will go towards your membership gift for the Y24/25 cohort. That’s right. If you are reading this, you have the opportunity to see Mamma Mia, register early, and pay nothing more for your WWS membership for the upcoming year! Social time in the suites begins at 6:45 with snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, and WWS friends!
Tickets are going fast. Email amyb@sieutah.org to reserve your tickets today.
New Membership Year
We will open registration in December to begin the new membership application process and begin pairing new mentees with mentors. Please re-apply as soon as possible in order to make that process as seamless as possible. YES, everyone must re-apply so we have updated information and ways you want to engage. Look to your companies to sponsor your memberships and become involved as donors of the program. If there are other women in your organization that you would recommend, please refer them to us. We are always in need of more mentors and engaged members.
Girls Give Back! Events Go Statewide
Women Who Succeed is proud to serve female students statewide- with mentees participating from Gunnison to Navajo Nation to Richfield and Vernal (to name a few), we are dedicated to making the program and affiliated resources accessible to all young women. This year, we were thrilled to transition to a regional model for our Girls Give Back! event. An evening of socialization and service. At all three events, members and mentees came together to assemble comfort kits for the American Red Cross filled with hygiene items. It was a wonderful opportunity for mentees and members to network and meet once again in person. A special thank you to the ad hoc planning committee members for your leadership and execution in making these events happen: Emily Hudson, LolaJean Bolton, Jennifer Hall, Georgi Rausch, Laura Peifer, Diane Fullerton, Cheryle Caplinger, and Darlene Dilley! Thank you to our event sponsors: Tanner Glass & Hardware, Bridgerland Technical College, GBS Benefits, and Utah Tech University.
Scholarships
Applications for Round 2 scholarships for mentees will be open from December 18th – 29th. Please note that mentees who were and weren’t selected as recipients from Round 1 are encouraged to apply. We are grateful to the scholarship review committee for their support in reviewing Round 1 applications. A sign-up link will be distributed to WWS members for those interested in joining our Round 2 scholarship review committee.
Internships
This Fall semester, ten mentees completed internships with hosting WWS members and their organizations. An additional three mentees began full-time positions through referrals and connections made in the WWS network. We are currently preparing to connect intern candidates with hosting organizations in anticipation of the Winter Semester (January – April 2024). If you or your organization are interested in hosting a paid/unpaid intern position, please complete the Intern Request Form by December 15th.
Mentee Highlight: LaQuinlynn Francis
LaQuinlynn Francis is from Red Valley, Arizona and is the third oldest of 4. She is expected to graduate from Utah State University in 2024 studying Health Education and Promotion and Health Science Emphasis. She enjoys working in automotive technology and the healthcare field. She loves learning about human diseases and how they affect the human body.
LaQuinlynn is a full-time online student at Utah State University. She is passionate about working with the community and individuals. She loves being able to advocate health and wellness in the Navajo community and Four Corners region.
In her free time, LaQuinlynn likes to spend time with her family and traveling to new places. She loves cooking and baking nutritious meals and watching medical drama television series.
We HEAR Her Podcast
Podcast of Women Who Succeed
Our Women Who Succeed have been busy sharing their stories, insights, and lessons learned in our We HEAR Her Podcast Series. Listen here and subscribe to our bi-weekly episodes!
You can listen to our We HEAR Her podcast on Apple Podcast, RSS, and Spotify. For more, visit the link below.
