To kickstart Women’s History Month, Tallahassee Community College held its annual ceremony celebrating women who show notable leadership.
This event is held yearly to shine a light on those in the community who are actively making a difference through community outreach, political participation, and simply being diligent women in society.
The theme of Wednesday’s ceremony was “Valiant Women of the Vote” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote on a federal level. The honorees who were celebrated at the event have shown their efforts in sustaining women’s rights through their service to the community.
The ceremony opened with a selection from the Tallahassee Civic Chorale and a welcome done by Jim Murdaugh, president of TCC.
Then Teri Cleeland, the keynote speaker, gave a message about her hopes of seeing more representation of young women in politics.
“We haven’t reached political parity in representation yet,” she said. “It happens by energizing younger women and letting them see that it’s possible for women to have political power.”
Cleeland, president of the League of Women Voters of Tallahassee, stressed the importance of young women using their political power to make the world a better place.
Cleeland is hopeful that the event inspired women to make a name for themselves.
Jazmine Hawkins, a journalism student, was honored at the event for her lasting impression that she has made on the TCC family.
“A lot of women in history don’t get recognized for the things that they’ve done so for them to get their recognition, it means an incredible amount to me and probably their descendants,” she said. “I want to be remembered for being one of the first women to travel to every country and write about women in those countries.”
Grace Chapman, a communications student, was proud to be a guest at the ceremony.
“Women’s History Month is very inspiring to me,” she said. “It pushes me to want to be a better me every day.”
The TCC Foundation has been hosting this event since 2005 and its goal is to inspire women to be better versions of themselves day by day.
According to Cleeland, Women’s History Month should never be taken for granted.
“It’s a chance for us to recognize the power of women in our society and the potential that they have to bring us together to achieve great things.”