USU Eastern Press Release
PRICE, Utah — The 42nd annual Women’s Conference will be at Utah State University Eastern on March 28. The conference will be from 1-7:30 p.m. in the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center. The event is an opportunity for women in southeastern Utah to come together and learn from a variety of topics.
“The Eastern Utah Women’s Conference is an extraordinary event year after year,” said Amanda McIntosh, a regular participant and last year’s Women of the Year honoree. “The committee goes above and beyond to make sure the event is perfect from beginning to end. An event such as the Women’s Conference showcases diverse, applicable, inclusive and empowering programming that benefits all who attend. It is always a delight to see such powerful women and community members coming together from all walks of life to engage with one another, network and share similar experiences, but to learn from one another as well — free of judgment or preconceived notions.”
The conference will begin with several welcome activities, including a self-defense class, book club, small craft event, macrame, yoga and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to socialize and meet new people while participating in these activities.
After these welcome activities, the participants will meet together to hear a welcome speech from Deborah Lin, local outreach & curriculum manager for the Utah Women & Leadership Project.
“Our theme of the conference is pioneering transitions,” said Sarah Weese, Eastern Utah Women’s Conference committee member. “We are focusing on the incredible journeys we as women go through and how we navigate through these various transitions, from personal growth to professional development.”
After the speech, the groups can attend several breakout sessions, which will be about themes such as home, business, community & support, and food. These workshops are designed to empower and inspire women in the community.
McIntosh will be one of the presenters, sharing her own personal story of experiencing the suicide of her husband, dealing with loss, where to look for help and potential warning signs.
“My work in suicide prevention is so personal,” McIntosh said. “Because I am a survivor of suicide loss, my only goal is to help prevent other families from losing a loved one to suicide by educating, spreading awareness and training others to know what to look for. I want to be sure that if there is a loss in our community, families are immediately connected to help.”
The event will conclude with a dinner and award ceremony, where the keynote address will be given by Mika Salas, the first woman superintendent of Carbon County School District. She will speak on the topic of embracing new challenges. The Woman of the Year award will also be presented.
“As a past Woman of the Year Award winner, I can only say that it was a complete blindsided shock,” McIntosh said. “In short, it was a huge, humbling honor. By being a recipient of this award, I felt like my voice was being heard and people acknowledged the strides we are making in suicide prevention. It is special to me that people resonate with my passion and that ultimately, my family’s loss is not for nothing … that my husband, my daughter and I are potentially saving lives by sharing our story.”
Tickets to the Women’s Conference are on sale now by visiting eastern.usu.edu/womensconference.
USU Eastern Women’s Conference Schedule
1-2:45 p.m.: Registration and Welcome Activities
- Self-Defense.
- Book Club.
- Small Crafts.
3-3:30 p.m.: Welcome Speech
- Welcome Speaker: Deborah Lin — Bolder Way Forward.
3:30-6:20 p.m.: Breakout Sessions (3 sessions)
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- A Guide Through Medicare.
- Unmasking the Harms of Social Media.
- Emergency Preparedness.
- Community & Support.
- Bolder Way Forward.
- Putting the “Me” Back in My Mental Health.
- Developing Leadership Skills.
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- Transitions Through Business.
- Preparing for the Workforce.
- Navigating the Maze of Grants.
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- Eating Healthy.
- Meal Prepping.
- Cake It With Carmell.
6:30 p.m.: Dinner, Keynote and Award Presentation
- Keynote Speaker: Mika Salas — Embracing New Chapters in Life.
- Presentation of the Woman of the Year award.