On April 3, MTHS’s Women in Leadership Club hosted its sixth annual forum to spotlight female leaders in Lancaster. The WiL club is advised by Mrs. Luther, and works to empower women and build community. The forum held a panel discussion focused on sharing the experiences and ambitions of women in leadership positions.

The forum opened with a performance by Bella Voce, MT’s female acapella group. This was followed by a spoken word presentation by Natalie Woleab, a club officer. In her speech, Woleab discussed the optimism that prominent historical figures have possessed in their fight for womens’ rights. Woleab further discussed that this very optimism drives feminists today to continue working towards equality and progression, setting the stage for the inspiring conversations that followed.

The panel was comprised of Beth Valentin (Director of Alumni Engagement and Development at Thaddeus Stevens College), Michelle DeLong (customer service manager at Georgia-Pacific), Cheryl Fuss (realtor at RE/MAX Evolved) and Laurie Myers (owner and chef of Cafe 301).

The club members prepared insightful questions for the panelists regarding their roles of authority and the implications of being a woman in those positions. The women were asked how they deal with issues like imposter syndrome, gender-bias and having confidence in their work.

“Confidence comes from believing in yourself and trusting in the process, walking boldly in your position, blocking out negativity, and knowing your worth,” Myers said.

The panelists offered valuable advice and wisdom about being leaders in unconventional or male-dominated fields of work. They urged students to pursue their ambitions during and after high school and be resilient in the face of adversity. The future generation of leaders were able to look up to the role models at the forum and be reminded to remain passionate, hard-working and uplifting of each other in order to reach their goals.