As the FIU Women’s Center celebrates its 30th anniversary at a university where more than 50 percent of students are women, more than 200 students, faculty, staff, community members and local high school students – women and men alike – gathered to share insights and best practices for career development and leadership at the 19th annual Women Who Lead Conference.
“Over the last 30 years, the Women’s Center has been a space to cultivate and celebrate women in various spaces, disciplines, and backgrounds. We have dedicated our lives to serving others, being present for students, and ensuring students always feel supported,” said Brittany Davis, the center's program manager.
In keeping with this mission, the annual conference facilitates intergenerational engagement as guests celebrate the accomplishments of women in a variety of fields and gain practical tools for navigating the work world.
This year’s keynote address highlighted Miami born-and-raised Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time World Champion Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry, a sprinter on the U.S. women’s 4x100 meter relay team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Terry graduated from Miami Northwestern Senior High School – represented among the crowd of high school students in attendance – before attending the University of Southern California and pursuing her professional athletic career.
Twanisha "TeeTee" Terry, Olympic Gold Medalist, delivers a keynote address at the 19th annual Women Who Lead conference at FIU.
Terry shared that mentors have propelled her success throughout her career, guiding her on everything from overcoming challenges on the track to selecting brand partnerships that reflect the values she stands for as a role model for the younger generation.
She encouraged attendees to surround themselves with mentors and coaches who offer different perspectives from their own as well as from each other. “Each one of my coaches poured into me in different ways, and I learned so much from that,” Terry said, later adding, “Learn from those who came before you, because maybe you’re at chapter two, but they’re at chapter 32. And don’t be afraid to fail, because when you fail, you learn.”
Similar sentiments were echoed throughout the day by conference panelists, who hold leadership roles in a variety of fields, including fundraising, science and technology, public service, library management, academia and more.
“I would encourage everyone in the room to not be afraid to tap into people who you admire,” said Jasmin Grant, executive director of fundraising at Baptist Health South Florida Foundation, encouraging guests to pose questions, because often, seasoned professionals are eager to share their experiences and knowledge.
More than 200 FIU students, faculty and staff, as well as community members and local high schools students, packed the GC Ballrooms for Women Who Lead 2025.
Santra Denis, executive director of the Miami Workers Center, reminded participants that it is crucial to designate time for self-care and to be intentional about positive habits outside of work, especially when fulfilling demanding professional roles.
“A lot of us don’t realize we’re stressed, because feeling stressed is our norm,” Denis said. “Where do you feel calm? Even just not rushing into the day changes the direction of your day. We need to have the discipline that we have at work at home, too.”
Adding to that, Elizabeth Cramer, distinguished university professor of Special Education and graduate program director of Teaching and Learning, noted that effective leaders are attentive to their employees’ needs and respectful of their boundaries in the personal and professional world.
“I know setting boundaries is the biggest challenge,” Cramer shared, “I have students trying to set meetings on the weekends and I encourage them, ‘Don’t you need a break? What can you delegate to others?’”
Adding to that, Denis enforced the importance of understanding the “season” your employees are in, as well as yourself – the significant milestones that influence your life, which could be anything from being a recent graduate who is new to the workforce, to expanding your family, to caring for an elderly parent – and how that impacts how they show up to work and how you can support them from a position of empathy so that they feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work.
“You can’t have all your balls in the air at one time and think one of them isn’t going to fall,” Denis said.
Participants had the opportunity to engage in "speed mentoring" sessions with over a dozen professionals who hold leadership positions in a variety of fields, ranging from public service to academia, STEM, and more.
Bringing the conversation full circle, Nancy Kirkpatrick, Dean of Libraries at FIU, advised participants that as they attain leadership roles, they must not forget that they represent the voices of those who are not part of the decision-making process.
“We need to make sure we’re representing everybody around the room who is not at the table,” Kirkpatrick said.
The Women Who Lead conference is hosted annually in March during Women’s History Month. Follow the Women’s Center on Instagram to learn about upcoming events that center women’s voices in brave spaces.