The 2022 Young Women in Leadership Conference Kicks Off Women’s History Month

Written by Madison Bannister, Schmidthorst College Communications Intern

The second annual Young Women in Leadership (YWiL) Conference welcomed more than 150 BGSU students and industry professionals from various disciplines on March 1. 

The YWiL Conference was spearheaded by Alex Falter, MBA student in the Schmidthorst College of Business and chair of special events for the Women in Business Leadership (WBL) organization. Falter was also the Program Director for the YWiL Conference. Other student organizations including Feminist Organization Rallying for Gender Equality (FORGE), the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), Women in Technology and the Dean’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODI) also contributed to the event.

Falter and the other student organizations involved raised $3,500 in scholarships and awarded them to five strong and involved leaders on campus who have a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion.

“The conference was a great success. We brought together students from all backgrounds on campus to educate and empower each other,” said Falter. “I am so grateful for this incredible experience. It was an amazing opportunity to be able to work with strong student organizations, distinguished speakers, and supportive companies through the process.”

Keynote speaker Lillian Schumacher, president of Tiffin University, kicked off the event and spoke about emotional and cultural intelligence, emphasisizing that the two skills start with self-awareness. Schumacher ended her presentation with four key takeaways:

• Live by the Platinum Rule (do unto other as you would have them do unto you);
• Talk less and listen more;
• Add value in all that you do; and 
• Insist on a culture of civility, collaborating, appreciation, accountability, and mutual respect.

Up next was Exploring Equilibrium,  a panel discussion that covered work-life balance. Panelists included Angela Jackson, owner and doctor at Quality Family Eye Care; Stacey Burlison, director of training at Rocket Mortgage and Edison Financial; and Asha Barnes, chief compliance and quality improvement officer at the Zepf Center. They talked about the importance of setting boundaries between your work and personal life, being intentional with your personal time and relying on your network to help keep you in check.

The 2022 YWiL Conference ended with interactive speaker Anita Watkins, global head of qualitative research at Kantar. Watkins’ presentation was about leading with bravery in uncertain times. She stressed that being vulnerable with people in both your personal and professional life is the bravest thing you can do as a leader. Throughout her session, Watkins also had attendees identify their leadership style is and how they can utilize it.

Learn about the YWiL Conference.