Inaugural ‘Colour Me Woman’ conference a hit

“The best way a mentor can prepare another leader is to expose her to other great people.”

This is the vision that shaped the inception of ‘Colour Me Woman’, and specifically the ‘Inaugural Colour Me Woman Conference’, held on March 9 at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge. Young women poised for greatness and eager to learn and grow marked their calendars from as early as three months ago, anticipating the event.

The theme of the one-day event was ‘Strong Women, Strong World: Igniting Passion, Persistence, and Purpose’. ‘Colour Me Woman 2019’ is the recently launched programme offered through the Office of the Students Services and Development. Tertiary-level students from over four institutions, UWI alumni, persons from women-empowerment agencies and from just about all walks of life were in attendance.

Keynote speaker, Lisa Hanna, MP, was elated to share on leadership and taking charge of one’s own life. She was sure to open with a reminder of the fact that she is a Taylorite and that she was pleased to join and share on such an important topic.

“There is nothing in life that is going to prevent you from being successful if you really want it,” she stated.

The line-up was one of the best for a conference of its kind, with outstanding women in the fields of leadership, mentorship, public speaking, education, human resource management, finance, communication, and marketing.

Taylor Hall has always believed in investing in the lives of its students and, therefore, saw the need for a robust initiative focused on the personal and professional development of young women.

Since October 2018, there has been a deliberate thrust towards developing the soft skills of women on campus, aiding their academic and overall success.

Shadelle Hill-Lawrence, founder and coordinator, was very pleased with the impact and saw the need to expand the programme, hence the ‘Colour Me Woman Conference’. As an extension of the programme, the opportunity was extended to students from other institutions, organisations, and companies. “I saw where an event like this could benefit more than just students. I’m extremely passionate about mentorship and the development of women and can’t wait to see the growth that will take place from here on,” she shared.

Patrons expressed how fulfilling the event was, sharing how they learnt a lot, appreciated the lovely treats from Elle and Vire, Alpen, and Woman’s Touch. To top it off, each participant received a free professional head shot from Studio Craft Imaging.