10th Annual Professional Development Day
It took 119 years for Saint Joseph’s University to allow women to study within its halls, only letting women enroll full-time in the Fall of 1970. The women who went before us dedicated themselves to proving that they deserved a place on campus just as much as male students, and the impact of their contributions and efforts has allowed generations of woman-identifying students to flourish at Saint Joe’s. This March 16th, Women’s Leadership Initiative continued the tradition of developing strong leadership abilities and celebrating our achievement by hosting its 10th annual Professional Development Day.
Celebrating a decade since the first Professional Development Day, WLI was honored to host the trailblazing and inspiring President Cheryl McConnell as our keynote speaker. The long history of women’s accomplishments at Saint Joe’s was embodied when our University inaugurated Dr. Cheryl McConnell, the first woman president in the 172-year history of SJU. President McConnell’s impactful address highlighted the importance of developing the next generation of leadership and investing in yourself, perfectly summarizing the mission of WLI. I thank President McConnell for being the shining light she is for our campus community, especially for our woman-identifying students, and for taking time out of her busy schedule to truly dedicate herself to supporting the next generation of leaders.
President McConnell’s speech was followed by a mentoring lunch featuring fifteen women faculty and staff members who have worked tirelessly to make a difference on campus by generously encouraging and supporting the students, especially those who identify as women, who look up to them. Being able to connect with so many wonderful women accomplished in their careers gave PDD participants a chance to network and converse with possible mentors from many different departments and disciplines throughout campus.
PDD also featured incredibly informative presentations that prepared our participants to better participate in the professional world. Trish Shafer, Executive Director of the SJU Career Center, presented on forming authentic connections while networking, an especially important session since many young professionals have no idea where to start when it comes to networking! Dr. Josephine Shih, Professor of Psychology, and Jennifer Fisher, Psychotherapist with CAPS, presented a session focused on how to prevent professional burnout, a state that students and established professionals alike find themselves suffering from. These sessions were so informative and helpful for young women beginning to navigate the professional world.
Overall, WLI’s 10th Annual Professional Development Day was an impressive success filled with impactful conversations, educational sessions, and fellowship. I would like to thank WLI’s amazing Co-Vice Presidents, Baylee Fingerhut and Cassidy Cahill, for the immense amount of work they put into planning and executing WLI’s biggest event of the year. Thank you also to the rest of WLI’s e-board who supported the planners of PDD as well as our wonderful advisors who guided us every step of the way. Finally, thank you to our participants who took time out of their St. Patrick’s Day weekend to invest in themselves and join a community of young women that I know will someday lead and inspire future generations of leaders themselves. Together, we are continuing the legacy of those women who came before us, paving the way for even greater successes, opportunities, and achievements.
Pictured: WLI’s 2023-2024 Executive Board with SJU President Cheryl McConnell at PDD 2024.
Photo Credit: Madeline Williams, The Hawk