SOAR hosts 11th annual Young Women LEAD conference

Wednesday, five hundred students from 14 southern Indiana high schools filled the halls of Vincennes University Campus and the Jasper Arts Center for this year’s Young Women LEAD Conference.

This year marks the eleventh year for Young Women LEAD in Jasper. Young Women LEAD is an impact organization that presents a platform to showcase and encourage confidence and leadership skills for local high school-age girls. Over the past thirteen years, more than 42,500 girls have attended Young Women LEAD conferences in six different cities. 

This year’s conference featured keynote speaker Amberley Snyder, a competitive barrel racer from Utah, who has become one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in western sports. She has a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education and a master’s in School Counseling from Utah State University. She was also in the 2019 Netflix Film Walk Ride Rodeo.

Despite suffering debilitating injuries in an automobile crash in 2010 on her way to a competition, Amberley persevered and adjusted to the new trajectory in her life through hard work and dedication. She now speaks around the country about her journey and overcoming adversity.

In addition to keynote speaker Amberly Snyder, the Young Women LEAD conference featured local female leaders presenting 13 unique, interactive breakout sessions focused on the conference theme “The World is Yours.” 

Young Women LEAD is made possible by local community support, donations, grants, and volunteers. The organization that chairs the conference is SOAR, a leadership development program for local young professionals.  As part of the capstone for this program, the participants are responsible for organizing and producing the Young Women LEAD conference.

This year’s SOAR participants and conference steering committee included Brandy Nord, April Welp, and Tina Dalrymple with Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, Samantha Knies with Kimball Electronics, Angie Troutt with Kimball International, Kristin Schroering with Jasper Engines and Transmissions, Tina Ziegelgruber with German American Bank, and LaDonna Watson with MasterBrand. 

Young Women LEAD is also supported by a local Advisory Council composed of Jasper area women who lend support to the planning of the conference and the cause.  The Young Women LEAD Advisory Council members include Dana Coultas, Kimbra Gunselman, Sue Habig, Jill Kidwell, Danielle Moya, Brandy Nord, Donna Oeding, Sara Schmidt, and Jen Verkamp.

The planning committee worked to create a day that allowed these young women to see and hear how important and strong they are and to know they have so very much to give. 

“I am so very proud to be a part of this organization that recognizes the need to support and develop our youth, to help them learn the potential they possess and how to develop it,” Brandy Nord, project manager for the Young Women LEAD Conference shared. “This conference and Young Women LEAD are helping to ensure that there are generations of strong women leaders in our future.”  

Sue Habig, the chairperson for the Young Women LEAD Jasper Advisory Council and national YWL Board member shared why she supports Young Women LEAD. “We all have a responsibility to make this world better than it was before us,” she said. “We can’t live long enough to make all the mistakes and successes alone. Therefore, we have to reflect on the contributions of each generation, standing on our predecessor’s shoulders and learn from them while preparing the women leaders of today and the future.”

Conference information is available at http://youngwomenlead.com and information about SOAR https://www.soarlead.com/.