10th annual Lambda Theta Nu youth leadership conference attracts over 200 young women
Meghan Wiedeburg
Antelope Staff
Lambda Theta Nu hosted their 10th annual Lambda Youth Leadership Conference (LYLC) Thursday, March 2 in the Student Union Ponderosa Room with over 200 girls in attendance.
“Who runs the world? Girls!” was this year’s overall theme for the conference.
The goal of LYLC, a Latina-based, Greek-letter, intercollegiate sorority, is to provide a fun and educational environment for young females to learn and grow as leaders. Additionally, they promote obtaining a higher education to the middle-school aged girls attending the event.
“There’s honestly nothing more rewarding than seeing these girls motivated about education.” -Stefani Perez
Lambda’s chairwoman for this year’s event, Stefani Perez, said her favorite part of the event is seeing the young girls’ excitement about coming to college one day, pursuing a higher education and knowing they have the potential to be great leaders.
Danza members were invited to LYLC to perform a dance routine for the entertainment section of the day. This dynamic, colorful routine was easily a crowd pleaser.
Perez said, “There’s honestly nothing more rewarding than seeing these girls motivated about education. I think the biggest takeaway for the girls who attend is that they realize that just because they’re females or just because they come from a certain background doesn’t mean that they are limited to what they can achieve in life. Whatever they set their mind to, they can achieve.”
Breakout sessions were scheduled throughout the day covering topics such as self-defense, self-esteem and higher education. A panel of UNK and Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. alumnae spoke about their experiences and how they “run the world.”
The conference targets middle school girls in Kearney and surrounding communities. Registration goes through middle school counselors for the annual conference.
LYLC kicked off at 9:30 a.m. with an overview of the day, an introduction of the Lambdas and morning addresses from Heather Wolf, assistant director for Greek affairs and student activities, and Laura Matthies, assistant director for student activities and events.
Girls attending the panel also received a campus tour, and the chance to hear from keynote speaker Mariana Cruz, a UNK and Lambda alumna. Entertainment was one of the last items on the agenda and included dance performances from Sister-to-Sister and Danza, along with step and stroll performances from Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. and Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc.
