Sylvia Bloom, Community Outreach Coordinator for CORE 2020-2021 and CORE Chair for 2021-2022 reflects back on the planning of the 2021 Women’s Symposium. She is a Junior studying Film and English with a specialization in Creative Writing. Her Commons Affiliation is Ware Commons.
During the week of March 1st through the 5th, SMU held the 56th Annual Women’s Symposium, a weeklong event that brought the community together for conversations about the current issues women are facing and recognized outstanding women leaders in the Dallas Metroplex.
The theme of the 2021 Women’s Symposium was “Vocal, Viral, Visionary,” so Symposium attendees listened to and participated in virtual conversational panels with several women who work in media industries. Wynter Mitchell-Rohrbaugh, a digital media and marketing consultant and former reporter for OK!, talked about careers and networking in the digital age and how women can effectively use branding to elevate their message. Internet sensation and full-time comedian and content creator Brittany Broski answered questions on how social media is democratizing comedy, the benefits and drawbacks of going viral, and the importance of having a support network in the entertainment industry.
At the Community Awards Ceremony, keynote speaker Elaine Welteroth, former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue from 2016 to 2018 and current host on The Talk, discussed her career at Teen Vogue, her focus on encouraging younger generations to educate themselves on and advocate for important issues, and the cruciality of creating a seat for all women at the table. The Community Awards are an annual tradition of the Women’s Symposium that applaud incredible women in DFW for their contributions to both their workplace and the Dallas community.
This year, the SMU Women’s Symposium Student Planning CORE Committee introduced “CORE: the Podcast,” which consists of episodes devoted to individually interviewing each of the award winners on their experiences, achievements, and most important life lessons. Winners of the Profiles in Leadership Award were Marsha Clark, owner of leadership consulting firm Marsha Clark & Associates, Suzi Greenman, who has worked in real estate and is the former Executive Director of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Greater Dallas Chapter, Jessica Walker, Director of Community Wellness Solutions, Thear Suzuki, a Global Client Service Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, and Gail Turner, First Lady of SMU and Co-founder of New Friends New Life Ministry. These women were recognized for their extensive records of leadership in their communities. Leah Parker, Co-founder of the Body & Soul Program at St. Paul United Methodist Church, received the Gail Reese Ward Excellence in Mentoring Award, created to recognize women who have impacted their community through their service as a mentor to women and girls.
The 56th Annual Women’s Symposium hosted extraordinary women, both in and outside of Dallas, who told their stories and fostered conversations that inspired attendees to think about how digital and social media are impacting women today and how women can use these mediums to make a difference.