Events Recap
By Alysse Vaccaro '11
It’s been a busy first year for the Council for Women of Franklin & Marshall College. From writing our mission statement and inviting members to join, to kicking off our inaugural internship program and connecting with alumnae at Reunion 2012, we have connected alumnae to current female students and helped foster relationships among women associated with the College. And this is just the beginning.
The first event was held Saturday, February 18. The CFW Leadership Luncheon honored women from the Class of 2012 in leadership positions. Each member of the Class of 2012 who attended was recognized in front of the group and presented with a rose to thank her for her service to the College. Additionally, Becky Snyder Fawcett '92 gave an inspiring speech to the Class of 2012 about how her F&M education influenced her career. Becky followed her passion and started her own national 501(c)(3) financial assistance grant program, HelpUsAdopt.org (see the CFW Spotlight). A visit from F&M President Daniel R. Porterfield as well as attendance by many members of the Steering Committee also contributed to the overwhelming success of the event.
As a young alumna, I was inspired by Becky’s presentation and the number of female students who attended the event. I know how difficult it is as a student to find time for the activities you enjoy in addition to your coursework, but these women showed up to a new event by a new organization, where they did not know what to expect. I see this as part of the demand for the Council for Women of F&M—women want this kind of organization to exist and will support it. After graduation, more than 20 women from the Class of 2012 joined the Council.
On Saturday, June 2, a Networking Social was held at Provost Ann Steiner’s home during Reunion Weekend. In addition to snacking on appetizers and admiring Provost Steiner’s beautiful home, alumnae were introduced to impressive ongoing projects by two F&M students:
- Jessica Fuhrman '12 spearheaded the development of the Lux et Lex School in rural Cambodia with support from the International Women's Outreach Committee and The Human Rights Initiative. The school will educate 468 children in rural Cambodia who would not have had access to education otherwise or who would have had to walk extreme distances, which has led to this rural area's literacy rate of only 25 percent over the age of 15. F&M students raised more than $10,000 for the Lux et Lex School this past year, holding fundraising dinners, t-shirt sales and alumni outreach. To learn more about Jess’ efforts, click here.
- Jess Cadorette '14 shared information about Atma: The Refugee Artisan Initiative, winner of the 2012 Franklin & Marshall Innovation Challenge, created by the team of May Aung '12, Judith Stapleton '12 and Rukshana Tuli '12. The program empowers refugees in Lancaster through craft workshops led by F&M students. The students' ultimate goal is to help refugee women gain financial independence through the production and sale of artisanal products on the F&M campus and in the Lancaster community. The program is named “Atma” after the Sanskrit word meaning “self,” or “true self.” To learn more, click here.
