LADY Winter 2017 Program: A Huge Success!
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We are pleased to announce that our LADY Winter Program, conducted on January 5, was a huge success! Eighteen college students from a variety of backgrounds and universities and twenty-nine high school students from Japan gathered on this day under the theme of “College Life.” The university students themselves currently attend colleges in Japan, America, and Canada, and brought their diversity of experience in college to discussions and activities throughout the program.
We began with a small-group discussion on a broad topic by addressing this question: “What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘college’?”, and concluded the program with a discussion of the challenges women face when they attend university. For example, mentors and high school students talked about how odd it is when only men are in leadership positions, and that women are often judged solely by their appearances. Overall, the college students realized that it was typical to be judged a certain way just because you’re a girl, and wanted to find ways to fix the way people thought about women. |
To counteract discrimination, students suggested that women should each work on loving and being confident in themselves. Those who are aware of these issues, such as the participants of LADY, should try to reach out to those who are not familiar with these issues, and first focus on ensuring that more are aware of the problems women face in both college and beyond.
We are elated that we were able to provide the opportunity for the participants to begin considering these issues, and hope that they continue to realize and pursue their own path in life! |
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Finally, we would like to share some comments from the high school students themselves!
“I felt I was able to, little by little, settle the worries I had about college by having discussions about them with college students.” “I’m really happy I was able to join a community that I can always return to.” “It was really beneficial that I was able to discuss not only the discrimination experienced by women that I did not even realize existed before, but solutions to that issue.” “My perspective widened by listening to the stories of those who have such a variety of experiences.” |
We would like to thank the mentors for all of their hard work supporting the students, facilitating discussions, and sharing their experiences— we would like to thank Tokyo Academics for providing a warm and welcoming venue— we would like to thank the participants, for joining the LADY community and dedicating themselves to leadership— and finally, we would like to thank all those who have cheered us along the way, be they a sponsor, past guest speaker, a friend who provided guidance, or just a fan, for supporting the next generation of women leaders in Japan and abroad.
Now, it’s time to look forward to Summer 2017— LADY’s next Summer Program!
Now, it’s time to look forward to Summer 2017— LADY’s next Summer Program!