The Newark Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) invites University of Delaware students to apply for sponsorship to attend the 2018 National Conference of College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL).

Sponsored by AAUW, NCCWSL is America’s premier conference for college women.  NCCWSL 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 2018 will be held May 30-June 2, at the University of Maryland, College Park. Newark Branch sponsorship of $585 covers fees for residential registration (including housing for Wednesday through Friday nights).

AAUW Newark Branch has sponsored UD women students attending NCCWSL (pronounced “nick-whistle”) since 2011. Recent recipients include Julie Millisky (MPA ’18) and Gerti Wilson (AS ’16).

Millisky, a member of the Blue Hen Leadership Program, is a public policy major who attended NCCWSL 2106. She said she returned to campus 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. Wilson’s 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 2018 Newark AAUW meeting and will be invited to report on the conference experience at a branch meeting in fall semester 2018.

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 to graduate in the Class of 2019.

Submit applications, nominations or questions to Rebecca Johnson Melvin in the University of Delaware Library at 302-831-6089 or by email at LRJM@udel.edu. The deadline for submission of applications is Friday, April 20.  Acceptance confirmation is required by April 25. Students may apply by downloading the application or by contacting Rebecca Johnson Melvin at LRJM@udel.edu