On October 16th, at the Performing Arts Center by Valencia, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District featured a group of women in different higher level positions across multiple industries.

A total of 11 women in positions ranging from director of a NASA division to community college chancellor composed a panel to answer questions. The panel included Shannon Alfaro, Katie Bongiovanni, Emi Casas-Silva, Svina Dhupar, Julie Farbaniec, Maryann Garger, Natalie Garcia Montoya, Terri Giamarino, Diedre “DeeDee” Healey, Amy Kaufman, Lindy Sum, and Gina Woullard.

The panelists answered questions, relating to their personal experiences as a woman in a powerful position. Later on the audience was allowed to ask questions of their own.

While the event was hosted by the district, many students were critically involved. Moderators included Sarah Chen(11) from Yorba Linda High school, Caitlyn Dempsey from Esperanza High School, Hannah Frey from Parkview High School, Krista Eliot from El Dorado High School, Lizbeth Silva and Shea Slonkosky from Valencia High School, and Kylie Smith from El Camino Real High School. Robin Osborn was also integral to the hosting of the event as the traction expert.

Sydnie Chin(12) who attended the event thought it was an amazing event with inspiring moments. Her own experiences relates “to that of the panelists but on a high school level. [The panelists] were all so accomplished and it was just inspiring to see the aspirations of other people, especially women, come true. If other women can work as director of NASA, when rockets, spaceships, and astronauts are traditionally meant for ‘boys,’ then so can hardworking and intelligent women.”