March 26, 2025
This year, celebrating the annual Women’s Empowerment Seminar meant enjoying thick slabs of pillowy waffles, assembling bouquets bursting with bright florals and painting stems of candles — all following an inspiring session of guest speakers, of course.
Three incredible women shared their stories, wisdom, and advice on leadership, perseverance, and the true power of grit.
Ashley Harris, an entrepreneur and BYU alumna, shared her experience battling the unknown when her daughter, Emory, was diagnosed with cancer. Life “went from thrilling to horrifying in one sentence,” Harris said.
All the treatments and tears she shed taught Harris that she could not handle her children’s problems the same way she handles her own.
Her husband had one simple, yet powerful, message: “There are only two outcomes from this situation — you either come out of this more reliant on God, or you don’t.”
Harris’s decision to embrace God’s will made all the difference. As she prayed for miracles to heal her daughter, Harris realized that the greater miracle would be to “trust God, even if you don't get the miracle you wanted.”
Harris ended her speech by delivering a poem alongside Emory, who had survived all her surgeries.
Corallee Alexander works for BYU Athletics, which she never planned for while attending the university as a student.
Alexander’s message leaned into the empowerment motto. She focused on the importance of supporting others, especially other women, in any field of work. Her experience working in a male-dominated profession made her passionate about this aspect.
True empowerment also comes from tuning into your divine identity. Alexander explained that leading with Christ in mind helps you access His power in your life, making you a more suitable servant and loving leader.
Alexander’s closing words were a call to action: Step forward. Lead with courage. Inspired by Russell M. Nelson’s plea for women to embrace leadership, Corallee left the crowd with a challenge: Think of the women who’ve empowered you, and consider how you can do the same for others.
Kristine Widtfeldt, CEO of Chalk Couture, shared how to actually enjoy the journey of being a leader — especially as students navigating this pivotal time in life.
For Widtfeldt, an important element for success is assessing who you are becoming in the pursuit of greatness. By following the advice she provided, we can develop healthy habits that aid us in our success.
These tips included:
- Rewiring your brain to embrace opportunities instead of shying away from them.
- Seeking allies to both assist you in your journey and you assist them in theirs.
- Activating your body when you feel unmotivated through movement, like going on a walk.
Widtfeldt explained how doing these small, seemingly unimportant tasks, help mold our characters into being more likely to be apt for the opportunities we want.
Molli Christensen, a senior majoring in Elementary Education, came for the bouquet-making but stayed for the inspiring messages. As she gears up to become a 4th-grade teacher this fall, she loved Corallee’s message about breaking down gender stereotypes in male-dominated spaces.
“Women belong in all workspaces, even if they’re male dominated. We need to break down gender stereotypes,” said Christensen.
Elisabeth Carter, a senior in Communication Studies, also joined for the creative activities but walked away with a renewed sense of empowerment. “It’s important to educate each other,” Elisabeth shared. “When we do that, we create a sense of unity and power.”
This year’s Women’s Empowerment Seminar was a day full of powerful stories, beautiful creations, and moments that reminded us all just how much strength we have within us.
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