Organizers say BYUH's first conference hosted by the Women’s Services & Resources is meant to celebrate women and build unity
With spirit-filled music that echoed during the conference, the BYU-Hawaii Women's Services & Resources department hosted "Light Within Her," a transformative event dedicated to the empowerment and solidarity of women on campus, said Kathleen Nye from Utah, working as a service missionary for Women's Services & Resources
Kathleen Nye said the conference was held on Feb. 24 to celebrate women's resilience, strength, and growth in the school and the Laie community.
Preparation
Jeffrey Nye, from Utah, a service missionary for Women's Services & Resources, said upon their arrival at BYUH, they had the idea of having a women-only conference for the students at school. He said the idea came from their assignment to work as directors and missionaries for the department and to let students know that a women's department exists. Kathleen Nye said the motivation behind the conference was to promote the new department at the university and celebrate it through the content of the conference.
Jeffrey Nye said upon thinking about the plan for the conference, they prepared themselves for the event. He said their first two years at BYUH was filled with planning and generating ideas for the conference they wanted to happen. "Those two years were filled with organizing the event, finding speakers and organizers, looking for available hosts, the logistics, printing of materials and tote bags, the food, and more," Jeffrey Nye said.
Kathleen Nye said they aimed to provide workshops by guest speakers and fun activities within the conference's theme. She said they planned to offer a unique environment where female students could have heard more regularly in their classrooms and at conferences they had already attended.
Main goals
Kathleen Nye said the goal of the conference was divided into five parts:
- Awareness of the women's services and resources department that it exists and is available to anyone.
- Help women on campus to feel comfortable and establish a community where they learn from other women.
- Include students in the program who helped choose workshop topics, print logos, stickers, tote bags, and anything else involving them.
- Women-focused conference addressing their needs.
- To have a full-time employee within the Women's Services & Resources that could continue to plan and host a women's conference annually.
The conference
Organizer Kathleen Nye highlighted the comprehensive nature of the conference, featuring 16 workshops and 18 diverse speakers, each presenting on topics tailored to participants' interests. "We ensured that attendees would both learn new concepts and draw inspiration from the variety of workshops offered," she explained, underscoring the conference's commitment to meeting the diverse needs of its participants.
Irish Selene Gonzales, a sophomore majoring in graphics design from the Philippines, said she was eager to join the conference because of the timeliness and relevance of the theme of empowering women. She said she does not usually attend activities but felt an urge that the conference might be different from the other ones she attended.
She said the conference was filled with mentors who enthusiastically showcased their workshops. She added the whole experience was uplifting and empowering as she saw support from other people. "Different stations taught me different things. I am grateful that I attended and saw that my efforts as a woman count," Gonzales said.
Moreover, Gonzales said the whole conference was illuminated by a sweet song titled "My Yellow Ginger Lei" by Dennis Pavao. She said the music resonated throughout the conference because it helped her feel the bond among the women on campus.
Some of the lyrics from the song include:
My yellow ginger lei
Reveals her scent through the day
Enchanting moments with you
Makes me love you
You're as lovely as can be
My yellow ginger lei
My heart is yearning for you
My 'awapuhi (ginger in Hawaiian)
Accalia Stancliffe, a senior from Texas majoring in visual arts, said she participated in the women's conference as a model for the fashion and personal styles workshop. She said her workshop participation helped students find different styles and techniques, such as business and professional, and their unique individual styles.
She said she was embraced by a community of women where she felt represented and valued. Feeling the theme "Light within Her," she said it resonated deeply as she recognized the innate light within herself and her fellow attendees throughout the conference.
"After the conference, I still carry the inspiration and inclusivity I found. It made me embrace who I am and appreciate the diversity of women on campus," Stancliffe said.
Gonzales said her favorite workshop was the flower decorating activity. She said she had the opportunity to learn how to do it at home, which taught her how essential sharing talents is with others. She said the activity taught her to beautify her home and feel the companionship of her husband more.
Jeffrey Nye said the conference brought a sense of togetherness throughout the conference. He said seeing other students interact with different students made him appreciate the conference and what it did to students. He said the difference in culture among the students did not hinder them from having fun socializing with lecturers and getting to know new people.
Future aspirations
In the future, Kathleen Nye said the event will continue because of the positive feedback received from participants and lecturers. She said people came to her and expressed gratitude that an event catered to women happened. She hopes this event will become an annual conference for women on campus to continue helping students feel empowered as they work on getting their degrees.
Jeffrey Nye said it takes a group to attend a conference like that. He said the conference would not have happened without the help of community members and mentors at school. He said he looks forward to seeing what people do in the future as they continue putting on the conference.
