Students at Northern Virginia Community College’s Alexandria campus are learning to empower and encourage women to take leadership roles on and off campus through a program co-hosted by the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
The “Elect Her” program is in its fourth year. It began when the school’s Jean Braden Center for Women was approached by AAUW, which offered to co-host annual sessions with NOVA-Alexandria as part of a much larger program offered across the country.
Patricia Gordon, co-founder and program adviser o
AAUW assisted NOVA-Alexandria with session trainings, grant approvals and all the other necessities required to operate the program.
AUW “has an extensive support system [for the staff] to help bring everybody along,” said Carolyn Lorente, a professor of psychology.
Student liaisons, faculty volunteers and board members are included in the planning for the program, said Lorente.
“Elect Her” is not just about getting involved in politics, but it also aims to encourage women to take on leadership roles at the community college level, said Gordon.
