YWCA

On September 19, YWCA hosted our second hybrid Luncheon event. This year, over 800 guests joined us in-person at the Westin Seattle and virtually via livestream. With their help, we were able to raise over $1.1 million in support of women and families in our region!

Our 2024 Inspire Luncheon began with a wonderful introduction from our emcee Angela Poe Russell, who created an enthusiastic, fun energy throughout the entirety of the Westin Seattle’s Grand Ballroom as she guided us through the event. Virtual attendees received a special welcome from YWCA Program Leaders Jeanice Hardy and Mary Anne Dillion (shown above). An incredible performance from singer songwriter Alana Edwards dazzled us, and we were moved by the stories and experience shared by Femme2STEM staff member Shalaya Manneh and program participant Heena Vahora. YWCA leadership emphasized the importance of YWCA programs like Femme2STEM and why the support of our community is so valuable, and our keynote speaker Dr. Mae Jemison inspired us to blaze our own trails for the future.

Luncheon Lineup

Dr. Mae Jemison is the definition of a trailblazer, making history in 1992 as the first woman of color to travel in space, and her impact reaches beyond her work in NASA. During the Q&A, Dr. Jemison and our emcee Angela explored the start of Dr. Jemison’s career, dating back to her childhood in Chicago where she grew up with a passion for both art and science. Her parents were very supportive of her interests (or as Dr. Jemison says, they allowed her to maintain her inspiration), but not everyone was.

“When I was in kindergarten, my teacher asked me ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ [...] and I said ‘I want to be a scientist!’ and she looked at me, and she said ‘Don’t you mean a nurse?’ [...] and I was just really irritated with her, ‘cus how dare she try to tell me what I can do?” She recounted this memory to discuss the power of agency; how agency has been taken away from that little girl in certain stories recounting her life, and how agency is taken away from us in our own lives, both by outside forces and in some cases: ourselves.

“Agency is the ability to determine what your life is like, who you’re going to be, and I think that’s something we very frequently do. We don’t accept our own agency, we don’t stand up for ourselves.”

— Dr. Mae Jemison

For girls and BIPOC girls in particular, it’s especially difficult maintaining that agency as they get older. After leaving NASA, Dr. Jemison created programs for youth to build their confidence and help them on their academic journey, teaching them science literacy, critical thinking, problem solving skills, and more. Dr. Jemison said programs like YWCA’s Femme2STEM are important because they allow participants to feel like they belong, not only in a specific industry, but amongst their peers as well.

Dr. Jemison says there are very few instances where she felt like she couldn’t do something because of the mentality she has. “If nobody’s ever done it, then I can do it. I could be the first one, or thousands of people have done it, why can’t I do it too?” She carried this mentality throughout college, balancing her love for both science and the arts. “There’s this balance – sometimes we tell ourselves we can only do one thing, but a lot of the pieces balance you out.” And as it turned out, NASA liked people who did different things!

YWCA’s Impact

Before connecting with YWCA's Femme2STEM program, Heena was struggling to get her foot in the door to start her career in STEM. Despite Seattle having a robust STEM industry, women of color are underrepresented in STEM careers. Femme2STEM focuses on increasing STEM opportunities for underrepresented women of color to thrive in STEM careers and pay it forward to their communities. Students develop STEM skills and gain STEM internship opportunities like Heena’s with help from women like Femme2STEM’s Program Manager, Shalaya Sanders.

"We help our students with applying for colleges, we help them with gaining internships, getting some mentorships, working on resumes and cover letters, and then we also do one-on-one monthly check-ins where they're setting education and career goals for their time in our program."

— Shalaya Sanders

“I was looking for support in finding internships and finding different resources. A lot of my peers and my friends that go to UW, they have parents that work in the tech industry and they already have those references and those connections. I didn’t really have that. Tech is something I’m really passionate about, and Femme2STEM is really passionate about helping young women like me succeed, and so we both have a goal, and we both thrive to accomplish it together.”

— Heena

Maria Chavez-Wilcox, CEO of YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish, emphasized YWCA's continued commitment to advancing equity and advocacy while working to meet the needs of women and girls in our community.

"YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women. We're committed to ending disparities for those we serve each and every day. We are here to ensure all women have access to the tools and resources they need to pursue their full potential so they can become trailblazers in their own lives. When we break down barriers to equity and opportunity, it will make our whole community stronger."

— Maria Chavez-Wilcox

Supporters like you are the reason YWCA is able to continue serving our community and offer programs that provide stability, support, and opportunity for people who are historically marginalized and excluded.

If you were unable to attend the Luncheon, there is still time to show your support! We are truly honored and humbled to have such a passionate community helping us blaze trails for the future. Thank you for helping YWCA continue our journey of eliminating racism and empowering women for 130 years, and here's to many more years to come!

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