 Leslie Rogers receives the 2009 Woman of Substance Award during this week's Women's History Month event. |
WINTERVILLE�Pitt Community College celebrated women�s history Wednesday with a program emphasizing the power of personal stories and the courage to be one�s self. Held in the school�s new Craig F. Goess Student Center, the event featured a presentation by award-winning storyteller and author Kelly Swanson. A High Point resident, she is also a comedian and motivational speaker. During her PCC appearance, Swanson stressed the �tremendous power� personal stories have in influencing others. �We all have information to share, and that�s good because people need for life to make sense,� she said. �� But it�s about the way you wrap it; stories influence people.� Drawing from a cast of fictional Southern characters and humorous accounts, Swanson shed light on the people who have impacted her life and the moments that have shaped who she has become. She encouraged audience members to share their personal stories with others. �The story doesn�t have to be fancy,� she said. �Just tell it.� According to Swanson, life is about serving others and leaving behind memories that inspire those left behind. �I�m not here to please the world or turn myself into something I�m not,� she said before adding, �Sing your story loud, like no one is watching.� Each March, PCC holds an event in conjunction with the country�s celebration of Women�s History Month. This year�s program, �The Glory�s in Your Story: Why Stories Work & How to Use Them,� was the school�s eighth in celebration of the achievements of women. During the program, Leslie Rogers, Assistant Vice President of Student Development Services, received this year�s Woman of Substance Award. The honor is presented annually to a female employee for her involvement on campus and in the community, attitude of service, commitment and caring, and willingness to �go the extra mile.� Those who nominated Rogers cited her many talents and said she is a source of encouragement for students, faculty and staff. They noted her support for campus activities, �genuine care and concern� for others, punctuality and time management skills. A minister�s wife and mother of two, Rogers sings in the choir at Oakmont Baptist Church, where she also teaches Sunday School. She is a United Way and Greenville Community Shelter volunteer and a supporter of the local chamber�s Teen Leadership program and PCC�s College Bound program for minority males. Upon receiving her award, Rogers said she was honored knowing she would be in the same company with previous Woman of Substance Award recipients. In addition to the Woman of Substance Award presentation, PCC student Shanique Ferguson was announced as the winner of the �Glorious Stories� competition. The contest asked PCC students to submit narrative essays on remarkable women who had overcome adversity and/or made significant contributions to society. Ferguson, a native of Jamaica who now lives in Winterville, wrote about her mother�s struggle to adjust to life in the United States while caring for her family and completing higher education. A biotechnology student, Ferguson will receive an associate degree during Pitt�s spring commencement on May 13. This year�s Women�s History Month program was once again sponsored by the college�s Student Government Association, Multicultural Activities Committee and Office of Institutional Advancement. |