Women's

For the past nine years, OLP has hosted the Women’s Symposium during Women’s History Month, to bring together the top women leaders from across the country. The focus is to empower the next generation of women leaders to manage the multi-faceted aspects of being a woman in the workforce. This year’s theme was, The Hope is Here, which invited women leaders and our students to partner in the hope of being the change the world needs today.

This two-day event kicked off with our Roundtable Luncheon. This was an exclusive opportunity for OLP students who applied to participate. Nine women, including four alumnae, were either speakers from past Women’s Symposiums or Hackathon judges, and were invited to participate in intimate roundtable discussions with small groups of students. Students were offered the chance to take a deeper dive with each mentor and truly understand the importance of networking and the benefits of mentorship.

That same evening, we welcomed guests, including past and present speakers, alumnae, parents and community members to gather for our first Symposium networking event. The evening gave guests the opportunity to connect with each other, shop, update their headshots, and hear from Alumna, Sara Bendrick ‘04, who shared about how she has built her brand and continues to be a part of the OLP community.

The following day we welcomed guests including alumnae, other local high schoolers, professionals and community members, alongside our current OLP students for the main event! This year’s symposium featured more than 60 speakers, 30 unique workshops, including 7 unique themes, a first of its kind for OLP! Students were able to choose their sessions in advance, modeling after most university style conferences.

This format allowed our students to choose sessions and meet speakers that aligned with their personal interests and aspirations. Speakers included 16 alumnae speakers as well as male faculty and parents who facilitated a workshop titled, He for She: Male Allies Among Us. Another first of its kind workshop! Stories of diverted plans, unexpected opportunities, and curve balls that turned into grand slams were shared throughout the day.

One of the most popular sessions was The Art of Makeup, featuring professional makeup artist, Whitney McElvy. One student reflected, “The Art of Makeup was super enjoyable because Whitney really connected with us. She gave us a heartful presentation and really took the time to answer our questions.”

During session breaks, guests had the opportunity to browse the vendor marketplace where student entrepreneurs, alumnae and local businesses showcased services and sold goods. Entrepreneurship and supporting women-owned businesses are cornerstone elements of the OLP Women’s Symposium and this year we were thrilled to welcome over 20 vendors!

Following the workshops and panels, the entire community gathered in the Holy Family Event Center for our keynote discussion with big wave surfer, Maya Gabeira. Maya opened by sharing her personal experiences and how she was able to thrive in a sport typically dominated by men. Maya also spoke about her passion for the earth’s ocean and its environment. She demonstrated to our students the call to action from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to “care for our whole earth community.”

Architect of Change student leaders, Lauren Hill ‘26 and Blake Freeman ‘26 facilitated the closing discussion with Maya from the lens of challenging what is, imagining what can be, and moving humanity forward. At the end of the conversation, Yuri Ortega ‘25 told Maya, “For me personally, I find your story inspiring in how you persevered through your challenges, physical and emotional, to get up and ride that wave again.”

This event would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. This year’s partners from prominent San Diego companies included RCP Block & Brick, Hologic, CGI, MyPoint Credit Union, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, K2 Fundraising Agency, Torrey Pines Bank and the Smallwood Family. We were also lucky to have in-kind support from Robert Green, The Pendry, and Surf Diva.

An OLP student summed up her experience with “The Women’s Symposium is a great opportunity to get to know more about the careers of these amazing women and I am very thankful for this experience as they shared their valuable knowledge and gave a great insight on their careers and how they are making a positive difference in the world by doing something they love.”

Thank you to everyone who participated in this event in some way. We look forward to celebrating our 10th annual Women’s Symposium in 2024 and hope to see you there!

We would like to thank our sponsor, ResMed. ResMed ResMed is a San Diego based medical equipment company, primarily providing cloud-connectable medical devices for the treatment of sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other respiratory conditions. We are proud to partner with this innovative company for both our Women’s Symposium and our Hackathon.

Sarah Hassaine, Head of the Inclusion & Diversity team at ResMed, has also been a long-time supporter of OLP and both of these events. She demonstrates to our students to be leaders and innovators at OLP in an ever-changing world. This year, she was a speaker at the Women’s Symposium in the Find Your Voice: DEIB and Self-Advocacy workshop and in 2021 she was a judge at our Hackathon.

In addition to working at ResMed, Sarah is very involved in different San Diego initiatives, including refugee assimilation efforts and across the border in Baja Mexico with orphanages, the San Diego Tech Women Coalition and the San Diego Diversity Council. She currently sits on three local Boards of Directors.