ramirezy@lopers.unk.edu

The Women’s HERstory Month Celebration was held at the Nebraskan Student Union on March 8. The event was hosted by the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion.

A wide range of books written by or about women were offered in a raffle for attendees. Food and drinks were served as well.

The celebration kicked off with a panel. Women leaders in higher education discussed the challenges they have faced.

University leaders Mary Chinnock Petroski, Chandra Diaz, Maha Younes and Kelly Bertling all offered their advice and knowledge with an interactive question and answer session.

Audience members were able to send in questions that would pop up on the screen. Questions would be selected and each leader would answer with their opinion.

Confidence was important to the panelists.

“You have to have confidence,” said Mary Chinnock Petroski, chief compliance officer and Title IX coordinator. “People are going to judge you and it doesn’t matter whether you are in a leadership position or not. You are going to be judged by somebody and that’s their problem.”

Failure was recognized as a possibility.

“We are all worried about failure but if you have the confidence to step out there and say I’m going to do the best I can and learn from my mistakes then you are going to be fine,” Petroski said.