On Friday, March 5, I found myself walking back onto the campus that shaped so much of who I am — Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Returning to my alma mater is always meaningful, but this time felt different. This time, I was coming home to celebrate women.
I had been invited to moderate a panel for An Evening to Celebrate HER, a sold‑out International Women’s Day event hosted by the Acadia Women in Business Society (AWIBS). Through my work on the Board of Governors, I had gotten to know one of the organizers, fellow Governor and student Tove Biskop, and I was thrilled to meet two other AWIBS leaders, Kate Hutt and Kate Bagnell. These three extraordinary seniors poured their hearts into every detail — the décor, the theme, the panel vision, the picture wall of inspiring women, and the energy that filled a room of 240 people. Their leadership was unmistakable.
As a moderator, you feel a responsibility to guide a conversation that resonates with everyone in the room — students, professors, staff, sponsors, and members of the business community. But at the heart of it all were the students. We wanted them to hear something that would matter whether they were in their first year or preparing to graduate.
And with the panelists we had, I knew we were in for something special.
Isabelle Callaghan, Maya Macatumpag, and Ampai Thammachack — three women with wildly different paths: a computer engineering graduate now pursuing her MBA at MIT Sloan, a professional stunt performer and community advocate, and a serial social entrepreneur and founder. Their diversity alone promised a dynamic conversation, but what unfolded went far deeper than résumés or accolades.
Together with the organizers, we crafted questions that invited reflection — on what inspired them growing up, what motivates them today, and how they envision their futures. We talked about mentors and mentees, about joy, about purpose, about the dreams they’re nurturing next. I always like to begin with something not found on LinkedIn, and as they shared fun, personal stories, the room instantly warmed. Vulnerability has a way of doing that.
I even shared that my two siblings also earned their business degrees from Acadia — and that it’s been forty years since I first stepped onto campus as a freshman living in Chase Court. That moment of connection set the tone for what became a deeply personal and meaningful conversation.
What surprised me most was how little we talked about traditional “success.” Instead, these extraordinary women spoke about being motivated by joy, by giving back, by building mental‑health supports, by creating pathways for others, by creating opportunities for others. They spoke about the importance of finding a community that lifts you up — one that celebrates you, challenges you, and helps you grow. They spoke about family, about doing work that matters, about choosing meaning over metrics.
They were honest. They were open. They were brave. And in one beautiful moment, one panelist shared that she was pregnant — and the room erupted in cheers. It was pure joy.
We ended the evening with a short activity inspired by the IWF 2026 Give To Gain campaign, which encourages generosity and collaboration. On each table were beautifully designed Celebrate HER cards. I invited everyone to write a note to someone they were grateful for — a professor, a friend, a colleague, a family member, an AWIBS leader, even a panelist. I’ve done this exercise many times, and the impact never fades. There is something powerful about giving gratitude. It multiplies. It fills the room. You GIVE AND GAIN many times over.
Soon, cards were being passed as Celebrate Her notes of gratitude were being given and the energy shifted into something almost electric — a shared reminder that when women support women, everyone rises.
The organizers of An Evening to Celebrate HER created more than an event. They created a community moment — a space for learning, reflection, celebration, and connection. From the flower bar to the speeches, from the laughter to the tears, it was a night that captured the spirit of International Women’s Day in the most authentic way.
It’s a night I won’t forget anytime soon.
Stand up and cheer, Acadia. On this night, we certainly did.