A coalition of campus organizations are collaborating to host this year’s Women Investing
in Leadership and Learning Conference set for Tuesday, March 15 in the Rankin Student
Center Centennial Dining Room and the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center.
The theme of this year’s W.I.L.L. Conference is “Breaking Barriers and Opening Minds.”
This year’s event is being co-sponsored by a student-led coalition that includes Student
Government, You Beautiful Black Woman and Panhellenic Council. Approximately 400 participants
from Ferris, local and surrounding communities, and other Michigan institutions of
higher learning are expected to attend the W.I.L.L. Conference.
The 7 p.m. keynote address will be delivered by Amerikam President and CEO Stephanie Leonardos, recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from Ferris in 2009, at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center.
“The W.I.L.L. Conference has been a staple event for Student Government for the past few years and continues to grow,” said Morgan Toms, president of Student Government. “This year, we have collaborated with You Beautiful Black Woman and Panhellenic Council in order to reach even more students than before.”
The early breakout sessions for the 2011 W.I.L.L. Conference are as follows:
- 11 a.m., Professor Gloria Lukusa-Barnett: Goal Setting/ Reaching
- 1 p.m., Sharon Robideaux: Overcoming Obstacles
- 2 p.m., Gerald E. Matthews: Empowerment
- 3 p.m., Stephanie Leonardos: Leadership
Toms sees the topics of the sessions as diverse and beneficial to conference attendees.
“These breakout sessions feature a wide range of topics and are being led by both male and female professors and presenters,” she said. “I am really excited about all of the collaboration and wonderful people that Student Government has had the privilege of working with on this event.”
The breakout sessions set the stage for the evening’s keynote presentation from Leonardos at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center.
Ferris’ Diversity and Inclusion Office also serves as a sponsor of this year’s W.I.L.L. Conference.