International Women’s Day, which honors the economic, social, and political achievements of women worldwide, was first celebrated one hundred years ago today. I spent the day at the Springfield Sheraton, at a conference titled Leaders Among Us, sponsored by the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts. Though I could barely move due to a back injury sustained by shovelling snow on Sunday, I decided that this was an event not to be missed.

After breakfast and welcoming remarks from Dr. Carla Oleska, CEO of the Women’s Fund, we listened to the morning address by Reverend Kanyere Eaton.  Following that, I attended two workshops. The first was a presentation by Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong titled “From Globetrotting to Running for Office.” The second was a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Carol Leary of Bay Path College; panelists included Akilah Edgerton, Mary Ellen Preston, Edith Allen, and Kimberly Williams on the topic “Seeds of Change Among Us, Ageless Leadership.”

At lunch, the Ripple Effect awards were presented, and following that, Ms. Maria Hinojosa, award-winning NPR and PBS correspondent, gave the keynote address.

I took copious notes, but I don’t want to simply transcribe them for this blog post, so I’ve decided that I’ll summarize what I learned in a more impressionistic manner.  If I used tag clouds, this is what would stand out: strength, persistence, determination, power, achievement, service, model, mentor, change, challenge.  At the end of the day, I felt energized and inspired; here’s hoping that I can use what I learned to make a difference.