Woodlands Academy launches new STEM series
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart has announced the launch of its educational event series, "Imagine Her in the C-Suite," aimed at inspiring young girls to explore high-level leadership roles in business, science, technology and beyond.
"In 2018, only 4.8 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs were women," said Meg Steele, head of school at Woodlands Academy. "This initiative was born out of a desire to motivate students to explore career paths that they might not have previously considered.
"We know our students are destined to be leaders wherever their life paths lead. We want them to envision that some of those paths can include leadership in the male-dominated STEM fields. We are thrilled to bring this to life, not only for the students at Woodlands Academy, but for young girls throughout Chicagoland."
Open to school-aged girls and their parents throughout the region, the program provides an opportunity for attendees to engage in dialogue with leading professionals and with one another.
Featured speakers and panelists include CEOs and executives who share their success stories - as well as the failures that helped shape their professional development - to inspire achievement, build confidence and embolden girls to forge pathways to excellence.
The speaker series covers a range of topics aimed at preparation and empowerment and includes executive insights, experiences and lessons learned that will challenge each student to reflect on her interests and discover potential career options.
Featuring presenters that hold a variety of top-level positions, the conversations serve to encourage girls to consider their own opportunities for leadership.
The program is an ongoing initiative that, following presentations to Woodlands Academy students, will launch publicly with a panel of female executives at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, at the Gloria Dei Center on the Woodlands Academy campus.
Moderated by Matthew Shattock, CEO of Beam Suntory, the April 17 "Imagine Her in the C-Suite" event will feature the following panelists:
• Patricia Besser, managing director, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Bank
• Elaine Duke, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, now Specialist Leader - Security and Justice, Deloitte
• Charlotte Kremer, medical doctor and MBA, head of medical affairs and executive vice president, Astellas Pharma
• Kathleen Williams, global client account executive - Energy, Utilities and Chemicals Practice, Capgemini
Attendees will have a chance to enjoy refreshments and further engage with the panelists and moderator at a reception held immediately following the discussion.
The "Imagine Her in the C-Suite" series is a free and open to the public. To learn more or to register, visit www.woodlandsacademy.org/speaker.
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