The first-ever Cal State Fullerton LeadHERship Women’s Conference, held Sept. 30 at the Titan Student Union Pavilion, brought together 250 students, faculty, staff and guests from other CSUs for a day of inspiration, leadership skill-building and networking opportunities.
An additional 100 people were on a waiting list for the free event, according to Phenicia McCullough, vice president of the Department of Human Resources and Inclusive Excellence, who organized the day.
Dynamic and inspiring speakers were invited to offer their perspectives on women and leadership, both as a personal journey and as part of a larger social picture.
Melissa Majors, a leadership consultant who served as facilitator for the day, engaged students in stimulating discussions and provided free copies of her book, “Help Them Thrive: Leadership Coaching for Humans Leading Humans,” to attendees.
Cal State Fullerton alum Martha Blanding, who recently retired after a 50-year career at Disney, offered words of encouragement and support, reminding female students not to let anyone tell them what they cannot do. Blanding was the first full-time Black tour guide at Disneyland and finished her career as senior manager of merchandise special events. She, like other alumni in attendance, made themselves available to network with students that day.
Networking was encouraged from the moment the event began at 8:30 a.m. Cards at each of the tables featured challenges for the attendees, such as introducing themselves to three new people during the day. Others featured questions, such as What brought you here today? and What are you most passionate about in your work? And some cards had lighter questions, such as What’s your go-to method for remembering people’s names?
McCullough said a lot of planning went into the conference to make all attendees feel inspired and supported. “We wanted the experience to be special, and we wanted attendees to feel important.”
The number of women leaders is increasing, but they continue to face challenges. A 2024 report about women in the workplace from McKinsey & Company showed that although women have made gains in corporate senior leadership roles during the last 10 years, progress for women of color is “fragile.”
Darcy Totten, executive director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and one of the event’s guest speakers, urged students to become advocates for positive change through public policies.
Gretchen Hydo, an executive career coach and author of “Break Free From Your Dirty Little Secret: A New You in 10 Secret Breaking Stages,” which discusses women’s self-doubt and sense of never doing enough, also addressed the conference attendees. Career coaching is a relatively new field, and professionals like Hydo can help women navigate some of the challenges they face in the business world, McCullough explained.
Cal State Fullerton’s own ASI president, Haneefah Syed, addressed the group, too. She and others sought to bolster young women leaders with suggestions such as don’t internalize labels that other people put on you, otherwise they can become your identity; connect with other women for support to help you navigate your career; and you are not alone if you experience imposter syndrome.
“It was inspiring to be in a room full of women sharing ideas,” said McCullough, reflecting on the event. “It was a day of women talking to women, where you could relax and be yourself. When women are among other women, we’re often more open and more vulnerable. And when someone shares about a situation, we sometimes realize ‘Wow, it’s not just me, it’s a common thread, how do we navigate this?’ ”
This kind of sharing, McCullough said, is good for students’ well-being “by providing a space where they feel comfortable, strengthen their connections and embrace their potential as leaders,” she said.
Goals matter, she said, no matter what field a student wants to enter, and that’s where educators play a key role. Students need to see leaders, McCullough said, to learn how to be leaders themselves. “We’re an institution of higher education so we are all about student success.” Giving students access to leaders — whether they’re from the Cal State Fullerton community or outside of it — shows them a variety of examples to follow, she said, and this was one intention of the conference.
“I wanted to show our students that there are so many different ways to be a leader,” McCullough said. “You don’t want to put yourself in a box.” There are leaders in science, community relations, government, philanthropy and many other areas, she said. “You need to be open to new possibilities. If you’re stuck in a job, sometimes you need to be inspired, a reset.”
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