FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
LAUNCH OF THE IMELDA FOUNDATION:
Founder and President, Samantha Erskine, shapes the leadership potential of students at the University of Maryland, College Park, during a series of workshops and one-on-one sessions.
(November 14, 2016 | College Park, MD) On Monday, November 14, 2016, Samantha E. Erskine, Founder and President of the Imelda Foundation, will be speaking with students at her undergraduate alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park.
The theme for today’s series of career development events is, “Unlocking Your Potential, Shaping Your Future, and Leading with Purpose through Nonprofit Careers.” During the first session, Samantha will speak with students about the Imelda Foundation, discuss the process of founding an organization, and share internship and mentorship opportunities. During the second session, Samantha will discuss the rewards and frustrations of nonprofit work and what students can do now to unlock their potential, shape their future, and lead with purpose through nonprofit careers. Throughout the day, students will also have the opportunity to speak with Samantha about their specific career goals during one-on-one coaching sessions.
“Today’s launch of Imelda Foundation programming coincides with the renewed focus of organizations around the country on improving their diversity and inclusion initiatives,” Samantha Erskine said. “Last week’s presidential election results was the culmination of extremely long and hurtful presidential campaigns, which shined a new light on deeply insidious levels of racism, sexism, and xenophobia not previously felt by young girls today. It is important that we support our future women leaders by equipping them with the tools to lead—in their communities, as heads of corporations, in the halls of power, academia, hospitals, boardrooms, and on stages across the world. It is also important that we provide these girls with tools to navigate race, gender, and culture in divisive sociopolitical environments; help them learn coping techniques; and encourage them to live physically and emotionally healthy lifestyles so that they can thrive (not just survive) both now and in the future.”
Finally, Samantha Erskine said, “it is imperative that corporations, nonprofit organizations, and universities immediately work together to ease the racial, ethnic, and gender tensions illuminated by this year’s presidential campaign. If these institutions wish to maintain a competitive advantage and plot a successful future, they will need to create innovative solutions for collaboration and healing, as well as build a sustainable leadership development pipeline, given the reality of America’s changing demographics and our increasingly diverse future workforce.”
UMCP’s Women’s Studies Department, under the leadership of Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown, Associate Professor of History and Women’s Studies, is sponsoring today’s series of career development events. For more information, click here.
ABOUT THE IMELDA FOUNDATION
Imelda Foundation is a recently incorporated organization that empowers underserved girls to become global leaders through leadership development, experiential learning, cultural awareness, mentorship, and science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (“STEAM”) subject areas. For more information, visit www.imeldafoundation.org.
Contact:
Samantha E. Erskine, Founder and President, Imelda Foundation
347.927.2776 | serskine@imeldafoundation.org
https://imeldafoundation.org
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