Aug. 24, 2012
STEPHENS COLLEGE TO HOST
2012-2013 ACADEMIC OPENING CONVOCATION
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Stephens College will host the annual Academic Opening Convocation to officially welcome in the 2012-2013 academic year at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012, in the Kimball Ballroom of Lela Raney Wood Hall, 6 N. College Ave.
The keynote speaker will be Liz Forkin Bohannon, the founder and CEO of Sseko Designs, a sandal company in Uganda created to employ women so they can earn the money they need to attend university. She will give an address titled “One Sandal, Endless Possibilities…” During her time at Stephens, Bohannon also will visit students in classes.
Other speakers will include: Dr. Dianne Lynch, Stephens College President; Dr. Annette D. Digby, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Logan Weber ’13, Student Government Association President; Dr. James Terry, Chair of the Faculty, Associate Professor, Liberal Arts; Beth Leonard, 2012 Distinguished Teacher, Professor and Dean, School of Performing Arts; Becky Clervi, 2012 Distinguished Adviser, Assistant Professor, Equestrian Studies Program; and Margaret Campbell, 2012 Stephens Star, Director of the Student Success Center.
With her work at Sseko Designs, Bohannon has found a solution to the following problem: In Uganda, female students, due to a lack of economic opportunity, are not able to continue on to university and pursue leadership positions in society. Sseko Designs provides employment during the nine-month gap between high school and university where high potential young women are able to earn and save enough money to pay for college tuition. At the end of each term, Sseko Designs grants university scholarships that match up to 100% of the savings each woman has made during her nine-month session with Sseko. Learn more: www.ssekodesigns.com/the-sseko-story
Stephens College, established in 1833, is historically committed to meeting the changing needs of women. Stephens prepares students to become leaders and innovators in a rapidly changing world, and engages lifelong learners in an educational experience characterized by intellectual rigor, creative expression and professional practice.
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