Giving Back Magazine February 2020 | Page 63

2019 OLPWS Keynote Speaker, County of San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan (second from left) with 2019 OLPWS co-chairs Danitza (Ramirez) Villanueva ’98 (left) and Francesca C. Castagnola (second from right) with Head of School Dr. Lauren Lek (right). At the Academy of Our Lady of Peace, we host an annual Women’s Symposium that seeks to capitalize on the compelling research that indicates that the achievement pressure experienced by girls can be mitigated by providing access to role models and mentors. At this event, held this year on March 13, 2020, girls have the opportunity to hear from women leaders in our community, providing direct interaction with women professionals that may serve to facilitate the development of a mentoring relationship. Roundtable discussions allow several students at a time to have an intimate discussion with women professionals about their career trajectory and experiences. It is incumbent on schools to partner with organizations in our community to unearth opportunities for mentorships and role models that all lend to the development of adolescent purpose. In turn, this work supports curricular objectives as students who know what they want out of life and see how what they are learning are likely to be highly motivated in the classroom. 2020 OLPWS Co-Chairs (left to right) Danitza Villanueva ’98, GB Magazine; Jen Carroll, Associate Director of Public Relations, Illumina; Carrie Sawyer, CEO and Founder, Diversity by Design; and Peter Dennehy, VP Customer and Market Research, Newland. The Sixth Annual OLP Women’s Symposium will be held on Friday, March 13, 2020. The event is open to the public. Please visit our website for more information and to purchase tickets: www.aolp.org/olpws. T HA NK Y OU T O OUR 2020 OLP WOMEN’S SYMPOSI UM SPONSOR S FEBRUARY 2020 | GBSAN.COM 63