Conference for young women draws hundreds

NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER A packed house listens Monday as Channing Barker (from left), communications director for Benton County; Lisa Ray, retired Arvest executive; Debbie Jones, Bentonville Schools superintendent; Becky Paneith, former NWACC president; and Laura Jacobs, associate vice chancellor at the UA, participate in a panel discussion with moderator Monica Kumar, co-founder of Kinship Bentonville, at the young women's conference for students in grades 8-12 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER A packed house listens Monday as Channing Barker (from left), communications director for Benton County; Lisa Ray, retired Arvest executive; Debbie Jones, Bentonville Schools superintendent; Becky Paneith, former NWACC president; and Laura Jacobs, associate vice chancellor at the UA, participate in a panel discussion with moderator Monica Kumar, co-founder of Kinship Bentonville, at the young women's conference for students in grades 8-12 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.

ROGERS -- Presenters shared their knowledge on social media, relationships, personal finance, networking and other topics with about 360 teenage girls Monday during the first Northwest Arkansas Young Women's Professional Conference.

The conference was a junior version of the annual Northwest Arkansas Business Women's Conference, scheduled for today at the Embassy Suites Convention Center.

Northwest Arkansas Business Women’s Conference

The 20th annual Northwest Arkansas Business Women’s Conference starts at 8 a.m. today at the Embassy Suites Convention Center in Rogers. More than 1,300 business woman attend the conference each year. There will be 25 speakers, including keynote speaker Rebecca Rusch, who has earned numerous accolades for her success in multiple sports, including mountain bike racing, whitewater rafting and cross-country skiing.

Source: Staff report

The Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce and local leaders approached the Bentonville School District last spring about developing a conference for young women in grades eight through 12. They already had the convention center reserved not only for today's event, but for Monday as well.

The district accepted the task. Girls from Bentonville's two high schools and three junior high schools were invited to register at no charge to them.

The goal was to attract 350 student participants. The district closed registration after 360 girls signed up, said Jennifer Morrow, Bentonville's director of secondary schools.

Administrators from other school districts attended as well. The plan is to make registration open to public and private schools throughout the region, Morrow said.

The conference was about reinforcing the importance of soft skills and workforce skills that will come in handy as the students transition from high school to college or the workforce, Morrow said.

"It's about leadership. It's about confidence," Morrow said. "It's about the etiquette skills in business that we all need. It's about having a framework in place for people to be open and honest about, here are the mistakes I've made, and here's the success I've had, and helping young ladies learn to network and learn to build on some opportunities to listen and learn from others."

Monday's conference followed much of the same format as today's conference will. The day started with a panel discussion involving five women with prominent positions either in business or in the community. That was followed by three one-hour breakout sessions, when the girls could attend one of five presentations on different topics.

Debbie Jones, Bentonville's superintendent of schools, told the audience about the path to her current job during the panel discussion. She was the district's deputy superintendent in 2016 when then-Superintendent Michael Poore left for the superintendent's job in Little Rock.

The School Board launched a national search for Poore's replacement. Jones said she didn't bother applying for the job, because she assumed the board was looking for a man from out of state. The board, upon reviewing the applications, abruptly decided to offer her the job.

Jones admitted she should have applied for the job despite her original assumption. She encouraged the teens in the audience to go for the opportunities they want and not to fear rejection.

"Don't be afraid to step up," Jones said. "Put your name in the hat."

Margaret Rutherford, a Fayetteville psychologist, led a session on social media. She explained the ways social media can cause anxiety and strategies for dealing with that.

Jessica Imel, a business teacher in the district's Ignite program, gave a talk on personal finance. She presented five goals she said would benefit them financially, starting with setting up an emergency fund and removing all debt from their lives. She also recommended paying cash when possible for big items like cars. There was also talk about ways to minimize college expenses, especially through financial aid and scholarships.

Amanda Hinds, a science teacher at Lincoln Junior High School, gave a talk that focused on the insecurity girls feel related to their appearance, intelligence and status. She said they should recognize they are valuable regardless of those things. She urged them to reject negative perceptions of themselves while also looking for ways to encourage others.

"Real queens, we fix each other's crowns," Hinds said.

Aaliyha Pruitt, a sophomore at Bentonville's West High School, said she originally chose to attend Monday's conference because she wanted to learn more about preparing herself for college.

Aaliyha, 15, added she hoped to pick up some tips on starting a business, because she hopes to help her mother with starting a business of her own.

"I think it was actually quite useful," she said of the conference. "Now I know a few tips about finances and more tips about criticism and how I should take it."

Tanya Hayes, an entrepreneur who moved to Northwest Arkansas from Chicago a year ago, gave the keynote address during the lunch hour. Hayes discussed the importance of emotional intelligence in managing relationships and how to build a culture of support and encouragement in one's life.

NW News on 09/18/2018

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