Back-to-School Night Inspires, Introduces GWTK Members

As GWTK volunteers will attest, there is nothing like a visit to Esperanza Academy to bring home the hopeful mission of the school and the boundless spirit of its 62 students. On September 24, Esperanza Academy welcomed Great Women to Know members to share in the excitement of a new school year. GWTK members were greeted by students who proudly showed off their school with tours into every nook and cranny of the building. Later, they paired off with the girls in teams for games and activities that helped everyone get comfortable and make a new friend or two. For the girls and GWTK alike, making friendship bracelets together provided both lovely mementos of the evening and the promise of new relationships. GWTK member Lina Hunter, owner of Cakes by Design Edible Art, dished up a sweet ending with custom-made cupcakes festooned in purple and yellow frosting, Esperanza's colors.

After saying goodbye to the girls and their parents, members heard inspiring words from GWTK board chair Meg Rokos and Esperanza head of school Laurie Bottiger, as well as updates from across the organization. Board member DC Ware introduced Great Women Mondays, an exciting opportunity for GWTK members to share their knowledge and expertise with the Esperanza girls as part of their exploratory learning program (see related story). Business mixed with pleasure as members lingered to socialize over hors d'oeuvres and wine.

For those who were not able to attend, (and for those who would like an encore!), Meg's welcome address is below:

Good evening and welcome to our first gathering of Great Women To Know in the new school year!

Thank you all for coming; we know that it can be quite a challenge to attend an event on a weekday night in September, and we really appreciate the effort you had to make to be here.

I want to thank our hosts, the girls of Esperanza Academy, for welcoming us to their wonderful school! You are fantastic tour guides; you are great girls to know! We can't wait to spend more time with you!

As you've heard, Great Women To Know is now an officially sanctioned business organization, with a Board of Directors, a vibrant and active membership, and a web and print presence.

By forming Great Women to Know, we have created an amazing channel through which flow friendship and support, and a fundamental commitment to support the girls who attend this wonderful school. I am continually grateful for the opportunity to be part of this fabulous, unique organization, and I am even more grateful knowing that, in eras past, Great Women to Know would be an improbable possibility...

The generation of women before us gave us the gift of our voice. We earned the right to use it. We educate ourselves, we update our skills, we work hard, in and out of our homes. We shape our communities with our values, beliefs, and behaviors. We use our skills and capabilities for the greater good. We drive our nation's foreign policy, our domestic politics, our market system, and education reform. We shape our nation. We shape history. And her story it's our story.

Our story-- in the President's Cabinet--Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State, Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education, and Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor. CEOs of Fortune 50 companies: Anne Mulcahey, CEO of Xerox, Margaret Whitman, CEO of E-Bay, and 28 other CEOs of nationally recognized brands.

We ensure justice to all: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and retired judge Sandra Day O'Connor.

We make laws--Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, and the 14 women senators and 66 Representatives to Congress.

We are 66 million women who work outside the home, 25 million in managerial and professional careers. We work full time, part time, we volunteer, we are CEOs of our families, coaches of our sports teams and nurturers of children-our family's, and our community's.

If we are white, we earn 77% of what white men earn, if we are black we earn 63%, and if we are Latino we earn 55%. We still have work to do to gain economic parity. But we are comfortable fighting for what we deserve.

We are wonderful friends. We support each other, we listen with empathy - to laughter and tears, frustration and fulfillment. Together, we celebrate our milestones, we honor our losses.

Did you know that not having friends is as much of a health risk as smoking? That 84% of women surveyed said that the support of friends was the most important factor to their success?

We are indeed Great Women To Know.

Thank you.