Each twelvemonth March is designated every bit Women’s History Month, a celebration of women’s contributions to history, civilization together with society. For today’s immature women it is difficult to imagine a fourth dimension when women could non vote, but it was precisely 100 years agone this month, on March 3, 1913, that 5,000 suffragists marched upwardly Pennsylvania Avenue inward Washington, D.C. demanding the correct to vote! Although Women’s History Month had its origins every bit a national celebration inward 1981 when Congress requested the President proclaim the calendar week start out March 7, 1982 every bit “Women’s History Week", it wasn’t until 1987 that Congress passed Public Law 100-9 which designated the calendar month of March 1987 every bit “Women’s History Month." In honor of Women’s History Month 2013, JSRCC’s Multicultural Enrichment Council sponsored A Celebration of Women’s History Month on Friday, March 22, 2013 at the Workforce Development Conference Center. The program, entitled Empowerment: Connecting the Past, Present together with Future, featured several successful women from the greater Richmond community who shared their paths to success. Reba Hollingsworth, anchor together with reporter from WTVR, CBS-6 served every bit moderator for the event. Freda Thornton, president of FWL & Sons served every bit Keynote speaker. The possessor of 5 franchise locations of McDonald’s restaurants, Freda began her career inward 1980 every bit a crew person. Freda shared her even out of growing upwardly inward low-income housing inward North Carolina, a woman raise at xvi who spent her mornings “cropping tobacco past times dawn.” She was determined to endure a success together with she credits her success to people who “saw something inward me that I didn’t run into inward myself.” She told the audience that women must endure bold together with accept chances to succeed. “Know self. And remember, ‘to whom much is given much is required’.” Lacette Cross, Coach/Mentor at Camp Diva, decided to follow her see together with function inward youth evolution at historic menses 30. “I was sitting inward my machine together with listening to the radio. The intelligence written report was on the latest STD stats. I realized there's thus much function to endure done some sexual wellness together with affliction prevention, together with pregnancy prevention especially with immature African-American women. Girls everywhere ask to cause got a security identify to verbalise with someone close sexual health. What it agency to empower them to brand improve decisions together with endure a adept steward of sexuality.” Her advice to the audience, “Always know your passion, remain connected with it, endure willing to produce it for costless together with the coin volition follow." 
Marilyn West, Chairman/CEO of M.H. West & Co., Inc., a Richmond based planning together with consulting society with specialization inward management, pedagogy together with planning services, told the audience that with a number of well-known people inward her identify unit of measurement including Marvin Lewis (football player) together with Tony Dungee (coach), failure was non an option. “You couldn’t cause got sustained failure inward my family. That was only non an option.” She advised participants to “fill your network with individuals from dissimilar backgrounds. And, every 1 time inward a while, when you lot think of where you lot desire to go, think of successful people earlier you lot together with compare your resume to theirs together with run into where it pales. If you lot desire to endure a leader, accept a await behind you lot together with run into if there’s anyone following.” Dr. Brenda Drew, JSRCC College Board fellow member together with longtime educator inward Richmond together with Hanover populace schoolhouse systems advised participants, “Totally encompass together with honey what you lot do. If you lot brand mistakes, its ok-- it's all purpose of the experience. Discover your self-worth. If you lot encompass who you lot are together with let yourself to produce what you lot honey doing, you lot believe the impossible is possible. You notice ways to transform people's lives. Don't precisely lean in, but atomic number 82 on.”
Following these inspiring speakers 3 immature women from JSRCC together with VCU shared their hereafter goals. Jessica Gaither, a Middle College graduate pursuing her certification inward Substance Abuse counseling, shared a powerful even out of her older sister’s create produce with addiction. It was her sis who encouraged her to become dorsum to schoolhouse together with earn a GED. “I looked at what she was going through together with all of the actually difficult decisions she had to brand every unmarried day. I figured if my biggest conclusion was going dorsum to school, I could produce it.” Alexsis Rodgers is a graduating senior at Virginia Commonwealth University pursuing bachelor’s degrees inward majority communications together with Castilian together with a nestling inward political science. Last fall, she worked full-time inward Henrico for President Obama’s re-election campaign, peculiarly energizing high schoolhouse students together with involving them inward voter pedagogy together with empowerment activities. With a pronounced involvement inward minorities’ interactions with politics, she has researched the issues of depression voter turnout, access to interpretation services inward Virginia courts together with immediately the desegregation of schoolhouse systems.
In Feb Alexsis was recognized past times faculty members inward VCU’s School of Mass Communications, receiving the 2013 Black History inward the Making Award for achievements inward academics, career or service.
She plans to hold gaining sense inward the communications manufacture later on she graduates, possibly at CRT/tanaka where she currently is an concern human relationship coordinator. Eventually, she aspires to function with a nonprofit, strengthening humanitarian efforts inward underdeveloped communities.
VCU pupil Anna Scherbakova bridged the linguistic communication gap for her parents which made her real independent at a immature age. She decided to pursue her passion of pattern with the destination of finding personal fulfillment. She credits her success to the many mentors who cause got helped her along her path including an English linguistic communication instructor who made her formulate realistic, achievable goals, an advisor who recommended a documentary that solidified her conclusion to apply to arts schoolhouse together with Alexsis Rodgers who encouraged Anna to apply to endure a Career Center Ambassador together with inspired her with her dedication together with drive showing her that anything is possible together with no dream is likewise big. It was an inspiring twenty-four hr menses for all the participants together with a reminder of how far women cause got come upwardly since that twenty-four hr menses 100 years agone when they marched, demanding the correct to vote.
Watch the video:
http://animoto.com/play/TAZi87xdYVQMgk4rh9je2w
Marilyn West, Chairman/CEO of M.H. West & Co., Inc., a Richmond based planning together with consulting society with specialization inward management, pedagogy together with planning services, told the audience that with a number of well-known people inward her identify unit of measurement including Marvin Lewis (football player) together with Tony Dungee (coach), failure was non an option. “You couldn’t cause got sustained failure inward my family. That was only non an option.” She advised participants to “fill your network with individuals from dissimilar backgrounds. And, every 1 time inward a while, when you lot think of where you lot desire to go, think of successful people earlier you lot together with compare your resume to theirs together with run into where it pales. If you lot desire to endure a leader, accept a await behind you lot together with run into if there’s anyone following.” 
