Women's panel empowers young women

by Lilynn Opal Smith 

Being a young woman can be difficult, especially without guidance. That is why, in honor of Women’s History Month, Troy University’s New Era  Gospel Choir and Sparkle Mentoring Club held a Women’s Empowerment panel to answer questions for women. 

Topics discussed were mental health, women’s health and wellness, toxic relationships, and more.

The women’s empowerment panel included young women who are student athletes, graduates, and SGA members. The audience was able to interact and ask questions.

“In college there are lot of things that overwhelm our mind, and it was good to hear how the women on the panel explain how they go through it day to day,” said Jaden McNair, a freshman nursing major from Pinckard, Alabama. 

Of the four main topics discussed, mental health was covered with the most depth, as college students may find themselves in situations where they need a trustworthy peer to confide in. 

“We all need advice on everything, as we’re going to challenge things,” said Jada Wynn, a freshman psychology major from Montgomery, Alabama. “Sometimes, we can’t always confide in our family members, so it’s nice to hear from friends and peers or classmates.”

Women’s health and sexual health were also discussed.

 “It’s very necessary to have these kind of talks… whether it’s a friend, a sister, a sorority sister,” said SGA president Ava Carnazza, a senior global business marketing major from Enterprise, Alabama.  “It doesn’t need to be awkward.”

Other panel members shared that they did not have anyone to turn to at a young age when they had questions about their health and said they still struggle to have the conversations now. They then encouraged attendees to have conversations like these and to invite others to join. 

“Problems come every day,” said Monica Allen, a mental health counseling graduate from Prattville, Alabama. “You have until 11:59pm to sit with that problem and  have all of your emotions about it. If it’s something that you cannot change, leave it in that day, because you cannot carry it into the next day.

“What is that going to do for you?” 

Allen went on to say that if this issue was fixable, it is okay to wait to begin working on the solution.

“You have to feel all of your emotions about the issue presented to you first before you can start devising a plan to work through it,” Allen said.