This fall, Cornell’s Women’s Resource Center (WRC), in collaboration with Delta Gamma sorority, will launch the inaugural REALTalk speaker series that aims to present Relatable, Empowering, Authentic Leaders offering messages that both advance and empower women while inspiring them to become future leaders by maximizing their personal and professional success.

The first speakers in the series, former WNBA player and Southwestern Law School student Imani McGee-Stafford and podcaster and content creator Cameron Rogers of the Freckled Foodie & Friends, will share their candid personal stories to engage on Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Barnes Hall Auditorium on the Cornell campus.

“We’re thrilled to launch what we are expecting will be an impactful speaker series for the student experience across campus,” said Shura Gat, interim director of the WRC, an identity resource center within Cornell’s Division of Student & Campus Life, that aims to foster a vibrant and supportive campus community for woman-identified students in support of their personal and educational pursuits. “These two dynamic and inspiring women will provide an evening of thoughtful insights and helpful strategies that I know will really resonate with students right now.”

The theme for the 2022 REALTalk presentation is mental health and self-care. McGee-Stafford and Rogers will share their stories and examples of resilience and grace, offering strategies for women to navigate successful mental health journeys.

"Hearing heartfelt, vivid, personal stories in a face-to-face setting can be so validating,” said Laura Chang ’23, who will act as a student moderator during the discussion. “It makes you feel less alone and can inspire you to take action when your mental health requires attention.”

The series was made possible by an endowment gift made by the Delta Gamma sorority, announced last winter, which provides funding for the series in perpetuity.

“Delta Gamma chose the Women’s Resource Center because their mission aligned with the legacy we wanted to make as a sorority at Cornell,” said Brittany Coffman ’22, MBA ’23, REALTalk student moderator and former VP of Foundation for the Delta Gamma, when the gift was originally announced. “From the beginning, we emphasized well-being and mental health for college women as an essential topic that offers a breadth of benefits for our audiences. Our goal to reach a range of people in the Ithaca community is fervently shared by the WRC.”

The WRC was formed as a student organization during the height of the Women's Movement in the early 1970s. In 1998, its first full-time Director was hired as the WRC formally became a Cornell organization, and today the WRC is one of the Identity Resources within the Office of Student & Campus Life and continues to provide support for women-identified and nonbinary students at this crucial time in history.

REALTalk is free and open to all students and Ithaca community members. For more information and to register for the Oct. 20 event, visit CampusGroups or watch remotely through eCornell.

Stephen D’Angelo is the assistant director of communications and marketing for Student and Campus Life.