Annual conference at South Brunswick High School is slated for Saturday.
By: Sharlee Joy DiMenichi
Hundreds of women are expected to gather for a day of inspiration, networking and career information at the seventh annual South Brunswick Women’s Leadership Conference this weekend.
Phyllis Lasky of the Women’s Leadership Conference Committee said the conference, set for Saturday at the South Brunswick High School, seeks to expose young women to the variety of careers they could pursue.
"Even though we seem to be moving in that direction, women are still not aware of all their options in the world," Ms. Lasky said.
The conference is expected to feature workshops on careers in which women have traditionally been under-represented, such as law enforcement, engineering and intelligence gathering.
Other featured careers include counseling, education and health care.
Workshops dealing with barriers to women’s achievement, such as date rape and sexual harassment, also are scheduled.
Linda Dennery, publisher of The Star-Ledger, is slated to give the keynote speech.
Ms. Lasky said offering girls examples of successful women, such as the keynote speaker and those on the workshop panels, can inspire them to achieve.
One student who attended last year’s conference expressed a similar view.
"It really gives women a chance to see what other women have accomplished," said Kristen Bondi, a South Brunswick High School junior.
Ms. Lasky said that although young women can read about various careers, hearing speakers with experience in a particular field might be more powerful than the printed word.
"Something might click when you see somebody speak," Ms. Lasky said.