Women’s Leadership Conference at Naugatuck Valley Community College

The Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC) Women of Color Empowerment Collective (WCEC) hosted its first Women’s Leadership Conference on May 2 in the Founders Hall Center for Health Sciences. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, a Waterbury native and NVCC alumna, and Seila Mosquera-Bruno, Connecticut Commissioner of Housing, were the event’s keynote speakers.

For their capstone project, WCEC students planned a leadership conference for NVCC students and Waterbury Public School students participating in the college’s Upward Bound programs. Students identified and invited Congresswoman Hayes and Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno to be the keynote speakers at the event.

“We rise by lifting others! I am retracing my steps at Naugatuck Valley Community College Women of Color Empowerment Conference. I was every one of these women at some point in my journey,” noted Congresswoman Hayes at the conference. “I am happy to play a small part in supporting these future leaders on their journey.”

“It was an honor to speak at the first Women of Color Empowerment Conference. It is great to see women, who share my reflection, work to achieve their goals while inspiring and motivating other younger women,” shared Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno.

“It was truly an honor to be part of yesterday's conference. Being able to listen to Congresswoman Hayes' and Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno's journey was inspiring,” noted Carolyn Quintana, WCEC participant. “The Women of Color Empowerment Collection has shown me the importance of women of color taking on leadership roles. The WCEC program has made such a positive impact on me, and I am so proud to have been part of its inaugural semester.”

Led by NVCC’s Associate Dean of Development Angela Chapman, the WCEC is funded through a generous grant from the Women’s Giving Circle of the Connecticut Community Foundation with additional support from the Office of the CEO at NVCC.

Designed to empower the participants and develop and create pathways for their educational success at NVCC, the WCEC program contributes to the student’s personal growth, retention, and graduation. The program includes a series of workshops, a tour of the Connecticut Capitol building, and the capstone project. In addition, each student is assigned a college mentor for the duration of the academic year.

“The Women of Color Empowerment Conference was so uplifting and powerful! It was a day of connection where young women and girls of color from our community felt safe expressing themselves,” noted Associate Dean Chapman. “This empowering event offered the students an opportunity to build confidence in their abilities to become their best and greatest selves!”