To kick off February, the Women’s Leadership Center held a Galentine’s event filled with food and activities for those interested in the WLC.

An idea coined by the early 2010s show, “Parks and Recreation,” Galentine’s is a day to celebrate the love of platonic friendships, typically between women.

Roshawntae Boone, an Arkansas State University alum and mentor for the WLC, said that Galentine’s is all about girl power and hanging out with friends.

“Galentine’s is about women coming together and empowering each other, having fun, whether you’re cooking or playing games,” Boone said. “So I felt like that was super important to have it on campus with so many types of students in this program.”

Tianna Matthews, WLC vice president and second-year graduate student in the occupational therapy doctoral program from West Memphis, Arkansas said Galentine’s is an important event to have because it’s a day for friends to hang out and show appreciation for each other. 

Matthews said the event helps the members and leaders involved become more confident and connect with one another.

Boone said they wanted to host an event where everyone in the program could come back and get to know each other.

“With the program, we focus on professional development, building and networking relationships,” Boone said. “We kind of wanted to do something where the interns come back, let their hair down, relax and get to know the mentors and each other on a personal level.”

The event featured a buffet of food, cake and strawberry lemonade for refreshments, two icebreakers and some rounds of bingo with prizes and board games to round out the afternoon. 

Lauren Maness, a junior international business and marketing major from Marion, Arkansas, said she joined the WLC because she had the opportunity to go to their conference the previous year and felt inspired and wanted to stay around the people in the program. 

“I knew it’d be a fun event and I wanted to get out there and meet new people while experiencing a good place,” Maness said.

Maness won a round of bingo at the event, but she said she most enjoyed making connections and building her network.

Maness said her favorite part of the WLC is the people she gets to talk to.

“So many amazing people, especially mentors, who have already been in my place and have already experienced some sort of work in Jonesboro or other places.” Maness said. “It’s just great to hear from them.”

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