On November 7, over 350 women (and some supportive men) gathered at Parkway Place in Maumee, OH to celebrate the SHINE Women’s Summit. This is the third year the Sisters of Notre Dame hosted this event designed to bring women of all faiths, ages and backgrounds together to support, honor, inspire, nurture and empower each other. This year’s summit was themed Reach for the Stars and highlighted the contributions of women in STEMM fields.

“Empowering women has been a common thread in our ministries since the Sisters of Notre Dame was founded in 1850,” said Sr. Mary Carol Gregory, SND Mission Advancement Advisor. “As a congregation, SND has always responded to the needs of the times. Positive encouragement of, and among, women is certainly a need right now.”

The sold-out event kicked-off with a welcome expo featuring 12 nonprofit agencies whose missions involve helping women shine and an interactive STEMM fair where guests could explore and experiment with slime, rocks and fossils, lava lamps, Rosie the Robot photographerand more.

Eventgoers enjoyed a panel discussion hosted by long-time, beloved Toledo broadcaster, Chrys Peterson. Panelists’ work represented the fields of science, technology, engineering, math and medicine and included Sr. Ethel Parrott, SND, Adrienne Bell of First Solar, Adrienne Taylor from SSOE Group, DeVon Overton of the United Way of Greater Toledo and Andrea Gwyn from Mercy St. Anne’s and Sylvania Medical Center.

Keynote guest, Dr. Kathy Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space, sat down with Peterson for an interview that enthralled and entertained the audience.

The program concluded with the induction of the 2024 Women Who SHINE where five women were honored for exemplifying excellence in their ability to support, honor, inspire, nurture, and empower – the five pillars of SHINE. Like the Sisters of Notre Dame, the women who received the distinction foster the fullness of life. The recipients were introduced by Candice Harrison, SSOE Group and member of the SHINE Women’s Summit Volunteer Leadership Team, and presented a glass plaque specifying the category they were recognized in; Dr. Shaili Desai, Support; Dr. Anne Ruch, Honor; Jennifer Van Horn, Inspire; Sloan Eberly Mann, Nurture; Dr. Monica Holiday- Goodman, Empower.

Event organizer and Mission Advancement Director for the Toledo Region of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Kerri Rose-Rochelle, said, “We are so thankful to the corporate sponsors, donors, volunteers, and partners who made this event possible. Inspiring women is something the Sisters of Notre Dame have always done, and SHINE Women’s Summit allows an opportunity for the sisters to reach new audiences with their message of empowerment and service.”

Proceeds raised through this event will help fund the work of the SHINE Coalition and other ministries supported by Sisters of Notre Dame.

To get involved, email [email protected].