On the evening of Friday, October 3, Grier hosted its second Women in Leadership panel session, hosting Alice Hammond and Julia Wilt. Hammond is a civil engineer for the Department of Transportation and Wilt is an Assistant District Attorney for Blair County.
Students had plenty to learn about during this panel due to the diverse experiences of the two panelists. As such, there was no shortage of questions on Friday night as these experts delved into their passion for their careers.
Throughout the open panel, Wilt and Hammond shared what has been most impactful for them during their careers. “I’ve been involved in several big projects, but to me they’re not the greatest achievements,” said Hammond. “The greatest achievement is the smaller job and the communication that you’ve had with the local property, and working out that when you walk away, you’re happy about the project and they’re happy about the project.”
Wilt also explained that her choice in professions “wasn’t about the money,” and in the end she wanted to use her position as an attorney to help those in need. “Some of the most rewarding things,” Wilt said, “are knowing the difference you make in someone’s life for someone who has been affected in a really difficult way by crime.”
After the open panel, students traveled to the 1853 Student Center, where girls had the chance to convene with their peers and converse with the speakers. This is a great opportunity for students to ask more questions from our panelists and start deciding if these career paths are for them. For many highschoolers, the goal is to find a job that they can enjoy and take gratification from. While it is difficult to truly know which career a student will find rewarding, Ms. Hammond says to try your best and just “Go for it.” As students try on different possibilities for their futures, the Women in Leadership panel will continue to support their exploration and create webs of connection between Grier and women in the community.
