The wuSpeaks Series began on Sept. 19 with the Women Who Mean Business event.
The event focused on the empowerment of women, self-discovery, self- validation and confidence. The event coordinator, Cameron Mitchell, said that sometimes women get so caught up in the rush of things that they forget about their own needs as they hurry to attend to the needs of others.
Mitchell explained her goal with the event and that she wanted to support women over the course of the year.
“[Our goal was] to highlight the female voices at Winthrop, [and] to build women up so female students will start off with a good foundation,” Mitchell said.
The first speaker of the night was Itzel Celeste, president of HerCampus. Celeste spoke about her struggle with assimilating to college life and the journey that she took to find herself.
Celeste said that during her first year of college, she struggled to get past the preconceptions that people had of her and often fell short of what others thought she should be.
Celeste said that she struggled to find her place on campus until she decided to get involved with HerCampus, an online magazine for women and about women. She said that once she joined HerCampus, she was able to become more confident in herself and that it sparked a strong desire in her to go after all that she wants in life.
Celeste said that she became more involved in leadership opportunities on campus and that she learned to be who she was, regardless of what others thought. She said that by being true to herself, she was able to “share a piece of herself with the organizations” in which she was involved.
Celeste shared some advice that she said helped her through her struggle to find her place on campus.
“[There] is no struggle that exists in vain, for every fire that has burned you has left scars that became armor, shaping you into the person you’ve become. Women, we are built from the fire, and we may allow ourselves to be forged anew instead of consumed, a new beginning in the place of a tragic end. And just as the Phoenix, from the ashes, we shall rise together,” Celeste said.
Alexzondrea Harrison, the second speaker of the night and the founder of Evolving Essence, spoke about why she asserts that it is essential for women to seek self-validation and to practice self-care.
Harrison said that she believes that women are taught to care for others so much so that they forget to care for themselves. She said that women are forced to play many roles while practicing self-care, and she said that women should “detach [themselves] from things that do not serve [their] highest self.”
Harrison also said that self-talk has a powerful impact on confidence. Harshly judging oneself can negatively impact one’s confidence. She said practicing positive affirmations and self-acceptance is the key to a healthy relationship with yourself.
Harrison also said that women should dress in a way that makes them feel good, a look that will make them look in the mirror and feel confident. She said this mindset will lead to women not needing validation from anyone because they have already validated themselves and their beauty.
“Loving [yourself] is the most liberating thing a person can do,” Harrison said.
