Women's Commission presents awards during fall luncheon

October 3, 2023 (Volume 47, Number 3)
Article by Samantha Drougel

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Pictured from left to right are Women's Commissions award recipients Crystal Scott-Tunstall, Melanie Shell-Weiss and Lariesha Lee. Chasity Bailey-Fakhoury is not pictured.

Photo Credit: Amanda Pitts

Jenny Hall-Jones, vice president for Student Affairs, gives remarks as the keynote speaker for the event.

Photo Credit: Amanda Pitts

Grand Valley's Women’s Commission recognized leaders on campus during a September 20 luncheon with the theme of Reimaging Community.

Community involves building and nurturing relationships. Keynote speaker Jenny Hall-Jones, vice president for Student Affairs, expressed the power of relationships. “Relationship building isn’t just networking, it's reciprocal, it's what you also give and receive," she said.

Jones said she reimagined her community when she began working at Grand Valley, adding it takes patience to build trust before making progress. In her speech, she defined the term effortless perfection, coined by the Women's Commission at Duke University.

“That's where women bring home the bacon and fry it in a pan. You do all of the things because you have to be a mom and go to work. You do it all perfectly and effortlessly and it is hard but you don’t tell anyone," she said.

The Women’s Commission is in its 27th year of operation. Awardees are listed below.

Women’s Commission Awards:

• Emerging Professional: Lariesha Lee, assistant director for the Center for Women and Gender Equity
• Maxine Swanson: Melanie Shell-Weiss, associate dean of Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies
• Unsung Hero: Crystal Scott-Tunstall, affiliate professor of environmental and sustainability studies
• Community Impact: Chasity Bailey-Fakhoury, associate professor of educational foundations and director of engagement for educational and community innovation, GV NextED Co-Lab 

CWGE Awards: 
Outstanding Student Awards 

• Hayley Wilson
• Railyn Gaddy
• Alicia Guerra 

Positive Black Women Awards, Scholarship:

• Shynequa Williams 
• Ketashia Berrien

Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies:
Jean Enright Scholarship: Ruhi Khanna

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