Miami, Feb. 26, 2021 – This March, Miami Dade College (MDC) will honor women with a month-long celebration and exciting virtual events hosted by all campuses. The festivities will kick-off at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 1, with “Breaking Down Barriers to Create Change,” a conversation with MDC President Madeline Pumariega.
President Pumariega is the first woman to lead MDC. Her passion for innovation in higher education was born from her own experiences, first as a student at MDC and then as a longtime administrator. She was also appointed the first female and Hispanic chancellor of the Florida College System. Kendall Campus SGA Vice President Carolina Lopez-Varela, an Honors College sophomore and finalist for the prestigious Newman Civic Fellowship Award, will moderate the conversation.
This year’s Women’s History Month celebration expands on the centennial of the Women’s Suffrage in 2020. Events will showcase the accomplishments of strong, determined women recognizing their milestones and success in many professional fields, including politics, science, artistic development, leadership, and more.
View other highlights from this year’s program:
Wednesday, March 3, 12 -1 p.m.
Raise Your Voice and Heart Rate with a Zumba Party
Some say the best way to shatter a glass ceiling is to dance on it! This Zumba dance party celebrates the glass ceilings shattered with the 2020 elections. Historically, women have voted at higher rates than men in every presidential election since 1980. Today, a record number of women are serving in Congress. In this celebration, participants will learn how women leveraged their voices to decide the elections’ outcome while highlighting some of the courageous women who refused to be silenced.
Monday, March 8, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Women in Politics: Voice of Luisa Santos
MDC alumna Luisa Santos was recently elected District 9 Miami-Dade County Public Schools Board Member. After earning her associate degree in international relations in 2012, Santos went on to Georgetown University, where she attained a bachelor’s degree in political economics. That same year, she founded Lulu’s Nitrogen Ice Cream in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood. At just 30 years old, she is a powerful voice in local politics. Santos will discuss the importance of education in empowering citizens to become active participants in society and the role that women can play in politics when they take a seat at the table.
Friday, March 12, 12 -1 p.m.
Book Club – The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton
Join the 4th Annual Women’s History Month Book Club! In these sessions, we will discuss selections from The Book of Gutsy Women, a new anthology of important and influential women throughout world history, written as a dialogue between mother and daughter. Full of fascinating details and personal stories, the book provides numerous examples of powerful women and the effect their lives have had on future generations. The second and final session will take place Friday, March 19, 12 – 1 p.m.
Monday, March 15, 12 – 1 p.m.
Who’s Telling Your Story?
Reisha Williams, Director of Interpersonal Violence Prevention, will examine the intersections of oppression on gender-based violence. This workshop utilizes gender norms and the continuum of harm to discuss how participants can begin to change the cultural rules regarding sexual assault and dating violence in our community. Students will participate in activities and exercises that allow them to think critically about the topic, prevent abuse from occurring, and create intolerance for rape culture.
Wednesday, March 24, 12 -1 p.m.
Women in Healthcare
Dr. Donna Brown, Chair of the nursing program at MDC Homestead Campus and a pediatric nurse practitioner, along with two graduates from the program currently working on the front lines of the pandemic, host a panel discussion on the pandemic, nursing, and healthcare. The graduates will share their experiences as healthcare students and workers during these unprecedented times.
For a complete list of MDC Women’s History Month events and links to join, visit https://www.mdc.edu/womenshistory