Finding My Voice at the 2018 Women in Leadership Conference

As a volunteer for the conference, I arrived early to help set up for the event. As the doors opened, I was amazed at the number of women in attendance - managers, entrepreneurs, professors, executive directors, and others in important leadership roles attended this conference to learn from each other to become stronger, more effective leaders. I was also elated to see the number of men who attended the conference as well.

I had the privilege of being a greeter for the workshop “Confidence, Emotional Intelligence, and Finding Your Voice!” Before conference attendees arrived, I shook each speakers hand and introduced myself, letting them know I was there to assist them. I was greeted with smiles, warmth and interest in getting to know me better. These brief conversations with panelists were my first lesson at the conference.

• Graciousness. No matter what your level of success, take the time and get to know the people around you. A smile goes a long way.

The “Confidence, Emotional Intelligence, and Finding Your Voice” workshop opened my eyes to some new concepts, like knowing the difference between true confidence and arrogance, and that a leader should understand and acknowledge their own emotions and the emotions of others around them. Other important points made during this session were focusing on your positive attributes and perfecting them, celebrating successes no matter how big or small they, and surrounding yourself with people who support and differ from you.

All conference attendees came together to listen to the main panel speakers. The women on the main panel all shared personal stories of their leadership journey. The panelist who inspired me the most was Nina Ashenafi-Richardson. She is one of the first Ethiopian American judges in the U.S. and the first African American President of the Tallahassee Bar Association. To see someone who shares a similar ethnic background as me become so successful encourages me to continue to break down barriers that might hold me back from reaching my full potential and success because I am African American and because I am a woman.

Not only was Judge Ashenafi-Richardson’s success inspiring, but the stories from her past, advice and encouragement stood out to me among all the amazing panelists. I knew I had to speak with her. After the panel ended, I made my way to the front and stood in line to meet Judge Ashenafi-Richardson. As I waited in line, so many questions and thoughts ran through my mind that were all fueled by admiration and appreciation of her and the work she has done within the community. I made sure to present myself professionally, putting my hand out to shake hers. Before I could finish saying my name, she gave me the biggest, warmest hug! She told me that she spotted me in the crowd because of how professional I looked. I was in total awe and so excited that she singled me out of a sea of people. I was also thrilled that she said my name correctly on the first try, which was a first for me. She asked me a few questions about myself. I shared details about my career goals and about being a current graduate student at FSU.  She congratulated me and gave me her contact information so that we could meet and talk further. I shook her hand, thanked her, and she gave me another warm hug before I left. I walked away feeling empowered, knowing that someone successful was interested in my success as a young professional.

That interaction gave me a second important lesson at this conference:

• Networking is key. This conference reminded me just how essential networking is to a young professional. Take the initiative and approach people who inspire you. It can also help you make connections and find mentors.

Volunteering at events like this has helped me meet amazing people! A few helpful questions I had in mind when I decided to introduce myself to panelists were: What inspires you the most? What factors or life experiences helped you to achieve your success? How could I as a young professional gain success within my field? Are there any words of advice you could give me as a young professional striving for success? These questions helped create interesting conversation and a feeling of connection.

My final takeaway from this conference was:

• Always dress professionally. I decided to wear a professional suit to the conference, and this suprisingly created additional networking opportunities for me. Several panelists and speakers stopped to praise me for how I looked. I was able to network with many more women leaders at the conference because of it. What you wear can certainly open doors for you.

Empowered, leader, confidence are a few terms that describe how I felt after attending the Fifth Annual Women in Leadership Conference Seeing the hundreds of women attending the conference gave me a sense of confidence in knowing that I too can achieve the goals and dreams I set for myself. It gave me countless examples of professional women who have done just that. The conference reminded me that I am a leader in my own right. Being a leader and a social worker means each of us effectively create change, destroy stereotypes, break down barriers, advocate for justice, and pave the way for others to follow our lead.

Alana Henry is a current social work graduate in the Master of Social Work Social Leadership Concentration. She is also a CSW Ambassador, a group of students acting as representatives and advocates for the FSU College of Social Work.