Potential outcomes for educated women

We have two universities in our county.  Between the two, they enroll approximately 60,000 full-time university students in our community.  We also have trade schools, night schools, for-profit colleges and online colleges.  This area is full of college age students who add a lot to our community as they pursue their educational goals.  The vast majority of them also work part-time or full-time to support themselves.  Many more would attend college if only they had the funds to pay for tuition.  Some simply don't see the benefit in pursuing a higher education, gaining a trade or some sort of training after high school to support themselves and better their lives.  Some women in our culture don't think they will need any further education after high school. They do! We're trying to change that culture.

Here is a great list of some of the ways an education benefits a woman.  The potential outcomes for an educated woman are amazing!  Take a look at the list and see what research has shown as benefits for an educated woman.  Who wouldn't want these outcomes for themselves and for their daughters, sisters, friends, cousins and nieces?  I want these outcomes for my four daughters and my five grand daughters and all those women I love because I know that their lives will be so much better if they prepare themselves and then have options when life gives them challenges they didn't anticipate.  I'm grateful that my daughters are all educated because that training has made and will make all the difference in their lives.

I've been involved at the Women's Success Center at Utah Valley University for about three years now.  Our purpose is to help young women realize the importance of a college education and to help them get admitted, stay in school and graduate.  UVU provides young women with many options in their educational pursuits, including trades, certifications, and a four year college degree.  UVU fits a niche in our community and 80% of the student body who attend there come from Utah.

The other university in town is BYU. As a private university, Brigham Young University fits a certain profile of students, many of whom come from out of state.  Admission standards are tough.  ACT scores and high school GPAs on constantly on the rise and many good students can't get in.  Here is the fact sheet from their web site. 

Freshman Profile
Applicants	11,603
Admitted rate	49%
New freshmen	4,427
Average ACT	28.3
Average high school GPA	3.8

Many LDS students who want to attend college in Utah find that UVU is a great choice too.  Under the direction of President Matt Holland over the last seven years, much growth and change has occurred.  Many young women get admitted to UVU (since enrollment is open), but they don't stay because they don't have the money to stay in school and graduate.  We as a WSC board have been working to help provide scholarships to women who qualify so that they can stay in school and graduate.  I invited my cousin Janis to join the board at the WSC.  Janis has been a force for good as she has taken a major role as the chair of the scholarship committee in raising money for women to stay in school.  We recently held a luncheon where successful and accomplished women from the community were invited and asked to participate in raising scholarship money.  It was a great success!  Janis did a wonderful job in hosting the luncheon and making the case for the need to raise scholarship funds.  With the help of our host doTerra, over $250,000 was raised at this luncheon for scholarships!

Our local newspaper, the Daily Herald, published an article about the luncheon which included the pictures shows below.

Janis did a great job conducting, making the case for the need
we have in our community and contributing to this worthy cause.

Barbara Barrington Jones is a generous philanthropic
 community member who has done much good in
our community, and provided funding for the
Wee Care Center at UVU where women can leave
their children in day care while they are in class.
President Holland's wife Paige is a
great supporter of this cause as well and has helped in
 many ways to further the cause of education.

Janis explaining the goal we wanted to reach that day at the luncheon.

Elaine Dalton also spoke and showed her
enthusiasm when the funds started rolling in.

I'm passionate about helping to get the message out that women NEED some sort of training, education or skill in order to be better women, mothers, parents, community members and to work outside of their homes if they need to or choose to.  Preparation is key and no effort is ever wasted on pursuing an education.