When Kristen Chandler first thought about the Women’s Symposium she decided that the event’s mission would be to encourage women to pursue their passions no matter what.

“We want to empower, motivate and encourage girls and women from all backgrounds and all educational and professional levels to pursue their passions and seek leadership roles in their desired career paths,” said Chandler, assistant director of career connections and chair of the first ever Women’s Symposium at ULM. The symposium took place Tuesday morning in the SUB Ballrooms.

Keynote speaker Lynnel Ruckert, current senior advisor to and former Chief of Staff for House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, spoke about her journey through the workforce and how she is where she is now.

The keynote was followed by an awards ceremony. There were three awards given: Distinguished Leader Award, Rising Professional Award and the Legacy Award.

The Distinguished Leader award was given to Kay Heck Ship. The Rising Professional Award recipient was Brooke Foy. The Legacy Award was given to Dorothy “Dot” Kovalchick Roark.

Foy, who won for the strides she has taken to beautify the Monroe/West Monroe area, is an art professor at ULM. She returned to the area three years ago and has since reestablished the Summer Art Camp and established Arrow Public Art, the driving force behind last year’s “One Mile of Love” mural along the Trenton Street Levee Wall and a new gallery for the Downtown Gallery Crawl, among other things.

Foy said she was honored to receive her award and was proud to represent the women of the Monroe/West Monroe area.

“I have a lot of passion for our area. In the short time that I’ve gotten to be back I’ve been inspired by people. I forgot how much the people around me mean to me and how much they inspire me to do things,” Foy said.

Foy also commended the students that attended the symposium.

“You’re taking the first step in knowing that, as a student, you want to better yourself, you want to know more and you want to help. That’s sort of the goal for me…Do more, be more,” Foy said.

Roark, was the first baseman on an all-male baseball team. She was also a part of the first women’s professional baseball league.

Hayley Welch, junior english major, said it, “opened up so many different doors,” and made her feel more comfortable in her current position.

“Being a junior in college, it gave me a sense that all these successful women did not even know what they were doing at the age of twenty-one, and that it is okay if I don’t have everything figured out right now. It gave me a sense of relief that in time, everything that I have learned throughout my life will all fall into place when I least expect it,” Welch said.

The symposium featured different women-related tracks, a keynote speaker, awards and lunch.

The symposium registration was $15 per person and was open to everyone.

“The women’s Symposium also seeks to embrace the support of both men and women for the betterment of all,” Chandler said.

Guests at the symposium were able to pick from nine different tracks that covered subjects as they relate to women under the topics of education and careers, transitioning and adapting and health and lifestyle.

Each track featured three panelists—many of whom were Monroe natives or ULM professors and alumnae. The panelists answered questions prepared by the symposium committee as well as questions from the crowd.

The symposium committee is hopeful that there will be a second Women’s Symposium next year.