The Women’s Center at SMU, a group that strives to bring awareness to the campus about gender equality, will be hosting its 43rd Annual Women’s Symposium Feb. 28 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center.
This year’s theme, “The Time Is Now! The Education of Women for Social and Political Leadership,” was chosen in an attempt to broadcast to the audience that leadership positions and opportunities for women in the United States are increasing at a high rate.
While many awards will be given out throughout the night to recognize various women and their accomplishments within the Dallas community, Eleanor Clift will give the keynote address. Clift is a contributing editor for Newsweek and is also a regular on the political TV show, “The McLaughlin Group.”
Clift will not steal the spotlight though, as five other women will be honored with the Women’s Center Profile in Leadership Award. This award recognizes women who personify leadership throughout a career of accomplishments.
“There is an advisory board to our Women’s Symposium,” Karen Click, the director of the Women’s Center, said. “This is made up of community members, staff and faculty. They have a subcommittee to review the nominations and choose the award winners.”
Among the five recipients of this year’s award are Vivian Taylor and Lupe Valdez.
Taylor is currently the principal at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School. The school, located in Dallas, is home to more than 400 girls in grades six to 11. This was the first all girls’ school in the state of Texas, and Taylor is serving as the school’s first African-American principal.
Valdez, like Taylor, also enforces rules but not to schoolchildren. Valdez serves as the Dallas County Sheriff. She is the only woman sheriff in the state of Texas.
Other awards will also be presented throughout the night, including the Gail Reese Ward Excellence in Mentoring Award. This award pays honor to women who have proven themselves as effective and significant mentors to girls and women. Dr. Susan Sugerman and Dr. Dana Reemer are this year’s winners.
These two doctors started the “Girls to Women: Health and Wellness” medical practice. This practice, and these two women, are dedicated to the physical and emotional conditions and needs of young women between the ages of 10-25.
Besides paying respect to women who have helped better the Dallas community, there are many other reasons to attend the Women’s Symposium, according to Click.
“The opportunity for connecting with participants and people from across generations, disciplines and experiences will be eye opening,” Click said. Click also stated that the symposium is multi-generational and brings together dialogue and discourse on many different topics.
