By Gwendolyn Webber-McLeod Special Assistant to Wells President Lisa Marsh Ryerson 
 

It was a hot, hot July day and I was sitting on the sacred grounds of the Harriet Tubman home in Auburn, New York. I was there with many others to see a very important woman. She was visiting Auburn because she had taken a special interest in the home of one of our country's most outstanding women.

Suddenly the air grew electric, and I knew she had entered the grounds of the Harriet Tubman home. The crowd began yelling her name. Suddenly, right before my eyes, appeared a woman. She was dressed to kill, confident, shaking hands, and receiving each of us as if we were her family. As I observed her interact with the crowd, a familiar feeling rushed over me.

She stood at the podium speaking with compassion, commitment, and confidence. This was without question a woman who knew herself. Her words were a constant manifestation of a commitment to living a fulfilled professional and personal vision. Her words inspired us to lead lives that enabled us to use our professional and personal lives to better our communities.

When this woman completed her remarks she began to move through the crowd shaking hands. Eventually she stopped right in front of me. We shook hands, looked each other in the eye, and shared a knowing kind of a smile. Once again a familiar feeling rushed over me.

As I walked away I suddenly understood the feeling. The familiarity made sense to me. I realized in that moment that this very famous woman, Hillary Rodham Clinton, had just done what thousands of American women had done throughout history.

She gathered her courage, spirit, and thoughts, stood before a group, used her academic background, professional skills, and personal values to improve a community. This felt familiar because it is something that I try to do each day of my life. It is my hope that as you leave Wells and begin a new period in your lives that I might inspire you to join us in this most important task.

I'd like to inspire you to join us in public leadership because I truly believe that women leaders have much to contribute to the success of our communities and country in the new millennium. The truth is using all of who we are to better the world is women's work and always has been.

Please know that as I issue this inspiration that I do it with full understanding of all you must face in the near future. Women continue to juggle so many responsibilities in the home, workplace, and community. It is difficult to think about adding one more task to the things to do list. The thought of filtering in the work of public leadership may seem overwhelming at this time. Given this, I want to provide some tips to support you during this journey.

When I look at women who have woven public leadership into their daily routines they have a few things in common. For example, they clearly understand the connection between who they are, how they serve, and healthy communities.

Many of them have successfully transitioned from liberal arts to life and use academics, professional skills, and personal values to better the world around them. They've come to understand that in order to get your piece of pie you have to pull up to the table - even when the tables are in the kitchen, city hall, and corporate board rooms.

However, more than anything, they seem to be on common ground on one other important thing. They really understand that they must be whole, happy, fulfilled women to lead. To play on Hillary's favorite African proverb, they know that it takes a whole woman to incorporate public leadership into their lives.

They develop what President Ryerson, and I frequently refer to as the "other set of skills" to take on this most important task. I'll wind down my remarks by sharing some of these "other skills" with you. 

• Find the courage to lead with your head and your heart. Don't be afraid to feel the issues you will face as much as you think about them 
• Create a network of sister-girlfriends-- women who will mentor you all along the way. Your collective knowledge, skills, and values will buoy you in 
• Use the history and experiences of women as a tool to remind you that you are never alone. I truly believe that everything is everything. By leaning on the stories of women you will find great information and answers to some of life's most difficult challenges. 
• Learn that life is simply a journey full of connected lessons - each designed to propel you toward becoming a whole woman who will fulfill her personal and professional dreams. 
• Trust your gut; it is the center of your universe. Use your intuition as a guide to living a gracious, respectful life.

As I thought about these skills I also recognized that they are in alignment with all you've been encouraged to learn and do during your four years at Wells College. This experience has prepared you to hone these and many other important life skills. You know the "other skills" that will allow you to be whole women with commitment to public leadership.

So, I am at the end of my remarks. I want to tell you one final thing. When I was invited to deliver this address, I flashed to my experience with Hillary. I thought, would I ever be able to live up to a woman of such stature in my own attempt to inspire smart ordinary young women to extraordinary levels of public leadership? Then it occurred to me that I was more than capable because Hillary and I have many things in common.

They are the same things I have in common with Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Hillary Clinton, President Lisa Marsh Ryerson, and you the Wells College graduating Class of 2000.

We are all women using a combination of education, strong work skills, and personal values to move us to new places of leadership in our lives. It is this common experience we share as women that will truly lead to better and brighter days for our country and communities.

I hope that these words inspire you to heightened levels of self-awareness, leadership and bright futures. I am so honored that you allowed me to share this most important day with you and your families. Good luck and enjoy life.

(Delivered on Saturday, May 27, 2000, on the Wells College campus)