During the first weekend in November, AAUW had the pleasure of hosting a two-day retreat in Washington, D.C., for the 10 outstanding college women leaders who make up this year’s National Student Advisory Council. Throughout their one-year terms, these exceptional women will advise AAUW about student life, promote AAUW programs on their campuses, write for the AAUW blog, and serve as leaders at the annual National Conference for College Women Student Leaders in June.
The 2011–12 SAC members traveled from all across the country — coming from as far away as California, Washington, and Colorado — to meet Friday afternoon at the AAUW national office. The retreat kicked off with a half-day information session aimed at giving each SAC member a better understanding of AAUW’s mission and its programs. Imagine trying to learn everything about AAUW in just three hours! Later that evening, the students had a chance to get to know each other and AAUW staff better over dinner.
On Saturday morning, the students volunteered for the Greater Washington Heart Walk and cheered on the women and men who braved the chilly morning to participate in the 1–3 mile walk around Nationals Park. SAC member Odunola Ojewumi from the University of Maryland, College Park, said that this volunteer experience was the highlight of her weekend.
The SAC members were also treated to a private tour of the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum to learn about the historic National Woman’s Party, the fight for women’s suffrage, and the Equal Rights Amendment campaign. They also took a tour of the U.S. Capitol.
SAC members Katie Donahoe and Laura Corrigan thought the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum visit was “inspiring.” Joy M. Agee from the University of Alabama, Huntsville, said, “I really enjoyed looking at some of the original belongings of the women who were a part of the movement.”
The retreat concluded on Sunday with a morning session, where the women formulated their own leadership goals for the year; their goals included developing better negotiating skills, increasing voter registration on their campuses, and getting more students involved with AAUW. We finished our time together with a group stroll to the White House and to the newly dedicated Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial. All of the SAC members were excited and proud to be in the nation’s capital in their new roles as AAUW ambassadors!
I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet with the SAC members in person and look forward to getting to know them better throughout the year. If you have an SAC member in your community, make sure to reach out and involve her in your activities! You can also meet these impressive women via their guest blog posts this year. Stay tuned to the AAUW blog to read about their tales of student leadership on campus, and join them for NCCWSL in June.
This post was written by AAUW Leadership Programs Intern Jennifer M. Perdomo.
AAUW Dialog 
Hey There Blogaauw,
Thanks, on a related note, What is it that successful woman leaders have that other leaders do not have? There are some characteristics that set them apart and also seem to be instrumental in making them successful at what they do. Most of these characteristics can be learned or modeled. As you read through this list think about the skills you have in each area. Also think about how you might gain some more skill in each of the areas. You can use this article as a spring board to launching yourself into success also.
Vision. Successful women leaders have vision. They have both a personal vision for themselves and a vision for their business. They set goals that are aligned with their values and work towards those goals consistently. They use their values as rudders to guide their decisions and to keep them on track. Their visions are clearly articulated and shared with others so everyone can take part in creating the reality around them.
Communication. Successful women leaders have good communication skills. They are excellent listeners. They truly hear what other people are saying to them and they respond appropriately. They tell people what they need to know in clear and compelling words. Their communications are frequent and to the point. People always know where they stand and what is expected of them.
Strength of character. Successful women leaders have strength of character. They live in integrity. They lead from their authentic selves. Personal values are strongly held and they guide these leaders’ decisions and actions. They know what they want and they stand up for what they think is right.
Emotional intelligence. Successful women leaders have an abundance of emotional intelligence. They are very self-aware and in tune with their own emotions and the emotions of other people. They live their lives respectfully and are also aware of how their words and actions impact the people and things around them.
Relationship building. Successful women leaders are great at relationship building. They work at it. Maintaining and building strong relationships is an integral part of what they do on a daily and weekly basis. They understand that business runs on relationships and that strong relationships build commitment.
Visibility.Successful women leaders maintain the appropriate amount of visibility. They lead by example and serve as role models for other people. They are intentional about what they say and do keeping in mind their impact and influence on the world around them.
Principled leadership. Successful women leaders engage in principled leadership. They are crystal clear on their values and the principles on which they act as a leader. They do not waiver from their principles and their values no matter what the situation.
Nice One!