Women's Mentoring Network Honours Four Women of Excellence at Women of Distinction Award Event

The Ithaca College Women's Mentoring Network recognized four female leaders on March 31 as part of the 2023 Women of Distinction Award event, which was held in the Peggy Ryan Williams Haines Forum and was organized by the Office of Student Engagement to conclude Women's History Month.

Diana Dimitrova, the director of International Student and Scholar Services, Belisa González, a professor and dean of Faculty Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and the departing director of the Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, Elyse Nepa, the assistant director for the Clery Act and Prevention Education in the Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management, and Erienne Roberts, the deputy director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator, were among the women recognized.

Jaqueline Pereira, a sophomore, gave Dimitrova's prize during the celebration. Since being admitted to the institution and agreeing to enroll, Diana, according to Jaqueline, has developed a close relationship with her. She said that was the reason Office of Student Engagement director Michele Lenhart got in touch with her to give the award.

Because I was in a unique scenario compared to some of the other students, "She provided me a lot of support and she guided me through the process of selecting what I should do," Jaqueline said. As she is excellent with all the pupils, she hugs and looks out for everyone, therefore she was very personal with me.

Jaqueline, an international student, claimed that Diana assists international students in obtaining vital paperwork like visas and social security cards months before their arrival by establishing connections between them and their friends. According to Jaqueline, Diana, and her staff prepare traditional meals and keep in touch with students to ensure their comfort and success while acclimating them to life in the United States and Ithaca.

Each honoree received an award and five minutes to speak before receiving the award. Diana expressed her appreciation for the narrative component of the occasion and the opportunity to hear about each woman's particular experiences.

“Even though we arrived at this location by vastly dissimilar pathways and upbringings”, Diana remarked, "It's so good to halt and make the time to think how much we have in common." "Such stories, in my opinion, are potent. But just to stand alongside these incredible ladies and confront this lovely bunch of people. It's an amazing experience.

The focus of the ceremony was on listening to each woman's tales and learning about how she got to where she is today, what she has learned from female mentors in her life, and what she wants for the future. Belisa talked about the loneliness she experienced as a woman in leadership and how she used her influence to empower other women.

Belisa remarked, "There are many people in this room who can relate to the thought of being the only physical person in the room who occupies your gender identity or expression, your ethnic identification, or your socioeconomic position." "I like elevating up the names of other individuals and giving honour to folks who aren't often in those situations when I'm in rooms with other people who are frequently more powerful than me. To give credit where credit is due, women have had to devise strategies to include other people in settings.

Junior Taina Trinidad gave the honour to Belisa. Taina discussed Belisa’s work and accomplishments at the college, including his participation in the Urban Mentorship Initiative, which pairs college students with Brooklyn middle school students to introduce them to college life and give current college students the chance to have an impact on their lives of young adults.

Taina added that Belisa worked on the data gathering and analysis component of Public Safety Reimagined, a joint project between the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County that aims to implement systemic changes in the city to address issues such as indigenous land, police violence against Black Americans, and the COVID-19 pandemic's effects.

Taina outlined the kind of leader Belisa is at the campus and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to honour her. Taina claimed that Belisa’s loyalty to the CSCRE is obvious. Taina remarked, "I've had the beyond-words honour of having Dr. González be my counsellor and create a blueprint of whom I want to be when I grow up. She serves as a reminder of what we may achieve when we dare to speak out and take charge”.

In her capacity as a student leadership consultant for the Office of Student Engagement, senior Linnea Carchedi said she has collaborated with Elyse on several seminars.

Elyse’s job on campus, according to Linnea, is to collaborate with the Clery Compliance Committee. According to the Clery Act, colleges must disclose crime data that occurs on, around, and on the campus. Elyse is a member of the college's Sexual Violence Prevention Committee and analyses crime statistics for the benefit of the university. She also develops training to make the campus safer.

Elyse said throughout her address her desire to provide valuable wisdom to the future female leaders who would graduate from the college. As a woman, Elyse said that self-assurance is essential since it gives one the freedom to attempt and fail.

I was open to learning and trying new things. I discovered that I also required the confidence and tenacity to try something new every day, sometimes more than once, where you will succeed and sometimes fail, said Elyse. You can practically accomplish anything since "it's never too late to alter the game" and "you carry those experiences that you have with you" both apply.

The institution has been able to highlight the work of some of its most creative and inspirational women thanks to the yearly event, according to Linnea. There are so many deserving women on this campus, according to Linnea. "I think it's great that this is a chance to acknowledge women and women on campus whom all have various experiences and different identities and just hear about their travels, but also their commonality that a lot of them were pushed up by other women behind them," says the speaker.

Erienne, often known to her pupils as "E," was the last woman to get the honour. Elizabeth Pillow, a sophomore, gave Erienne the honour. She claimed Erienne is the director of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Compliance, the Student-Athlete Advisory Council's advisor, the athletic department's Title IX coordinator's deputy, a member of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Committee and the Sexual Violence Prevention Committee, and a collaborator with Elyse on workshops.

Erienne chairs the Women Leaders in College Sports Women of Color Initiative and conducts talks on diversity, equality, inclusion, and bias-influenced issues through the Institute for Sport and Social Justice.

In their acceptance speech, Erienne cited passages from prohibited or soon-to-be-banned works by Maya Angelou, Madeleine L'Engle, and Paulo Coelho to emphasise the value of lifelong learning and how to encourage others.

Leadership is not always simple, and it is not always without difficulties, according to Roberts. "You will leave a more enduring impact on others if you love something more and strive more for it. Greater knowledge begins with the importance of curiosity. This creates the platforms for views to be heard without bias or criticism, while also allowing for an awareness of how to help someone when they need it and how to create inclusive settings that are more long-lasting and sustainable.

Erienne, according to Pillow, merited the honour because of the time he devotes to each sports team and the way he demonstrates his concern for each player. Pillow added, "I'm incredibly honoured to have been able to accomplish that for her. It's hardly surprising that she won this honour given all the wonderful things she has done for our team and all other athletes.

Michele said that the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders served as the inspiration for the OSE's Women of Excellence award, which started recognising women four years ago.

It's a really pleasant ceremony, and wondered, "Oh my god, how could we do that?" because the women felt it was such a wonderful thing. stated Michele. "We may carry out the same action. At Ithaca College, we work with incredible women. We may carry out a similar action here. Therefore, we acted”.

La Jerne Cornish, president of Ithaca College, received the distinction in 2022 and expressed her happiness that the college's custom of recognising women was still alive. As La Jerne put it, "I've always been a person who believed that if I can see it, I can believe it, and then I can be it. So, our students have the chance every day to interact with incredible women, learn from amazing women, and see themselves through these women”.