The Newark Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) invites University of Delaware students to apply for sponsorship to attend the 2017 National Conference of College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL).

NCCWSL is America’s premier conference for college women. It provides a transformative experience for attendees and prepares them to be the next generation of leaders.

The conference offers more than 50 leadership workshops, a graduate school and career fair, preconference activities in nearby Washington, D.C., and networking opportunities with lifelong benefits.

NCCWSL 2017 will be held May 31-June 3 at the University of Maryland, College Park. Branch sponsorship of $570 covers fees for residential registration, including an extra night for supplemental activities.

AAUW Newark Branch has sponsored UD women students attending NCCWSL (pronounced “nick-whistle”) since 2011. Recent recipients include current senior Julie Millisky and Gerti Wilson of the Class of 2016.

Millisky, a member of the Blue Hen Leadership Program, is a public policy major who attended NCCWSL 2106. She returned to campus last fall feeling “empowered and more able to affect change on campus and in the world.”

With AAUW members, she attended a bill signing in July 2016 at the Delaware Legislative Hall for equal pay for women in the workplace, standing next to equity activist Lilly Ledbetter.

Wilson, currently a legal assistant at the Center for American Progress, majored in political science with a concentration in law and society; she also had minors in legal and women's studies. Her experience at the 2015 NCCWSL reinforced her passion for civil rights for minorities and women and work in public policy.

The preconference activity she attended on Capitol Hill inspired her to seek an internship with U.S. Sen. Chris Coons and her current career in Washington.

The sponsored student will be recognized at the May Newark AAUW meeting and will be invited to report on the conference experience at a branch meeting during the fall semester.

Principal selection criteria for sponsorship include academic achievement and leadership in volunteer service, not only on campus but also for the greater Newark area or the applicant’s home community. Preference is given to a rising senior woman (expected graduation Class of 2018).

Submit applications, nominations or questions to Rebecca Johnson Melvin in the University of Delaware Library at 302-831-6089 or by e-mail at LRJM@udel.edu. The deadline for submission of applications is Friday, March 10. Acceptance confirmation required by March 24.

Students may apply by downloading the application or by contacting Rebecca Johnson Melvin at LRJM@udel.edu.