On May 17, the Leading Ladies Luncheon convened once again at Eagle Oaks Country Club for the first time since 2019. The Luncheon serves as an opportunity for Trinity Hall juniors to connect with local women from different career fields. Students were seated at tables with professional women in careers of interest to them and were able to ask questions about their jobs and career paths. With around 300 women in attendance, attendees spent the afternoon networking, enjoying lunch, and hearing from keynote speaker Ginger Zee.
Ginger Zee inspired the room as she explained her journey to becoming the first female Chief Meteorologist at ABC and a New York Times best-selling author. As a young girl interested in weather, Ginger saw a future for herself in meteorology and broadcasting after watching the movie Twister. As she chased storms and landed jobs at TV studios, Ginger struggled with her mental health and eventually checked herself into a mental hospital. Ginger explained how prioritizing her mental health improved her ability to be a meteorologist, a wife and a mom. Ginger ended her speech with these messages: “We are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm;” and “The clouds won’t last forever. They can’t and they won’t.” After her speech, Ginger signed copies of her latest book, A Little Closer to Home: How I Found the Calm After the Storm, for attendees.
The Leading Ladies Luncheon provided our students with an opportunity to connect with influential women outside of the classroom. The conversations with women at their tables and Ginger’s speech left a lasting impact on the junior class. The following are reflections from our Class of 2023:
Paige J.: “Ginger’s advice of finding peace within oneself and learning the skills of resilience and awareness was touching, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have heard her powerful words of wisdom.”
Fiona O.: “The key message that Ginger spoke about that stuck out to me was not being afraid to let your emotions unleash while you are at work! Ginger saying that it is normal to have your emotions interfere with your job was inspiring. Not only did she say it is okay to cry sometimes when on duty… but to embrace it! It adds a touch of humanity.”
Emma F. : “My favorite part was getting to interact with women of all professions and getting a glimpse into the future. They shared their experience and gave us advice about having multiple interests, pursuing what you’re most happy doing, and always taking risks.”
Sophia A.: "I feel as if I have taken away so many important life lessons from the Luncheon this year. One of my most memorable moments was the sit down I was able to have with Ginger Zee right before the start of the Luncheon. We discussed school and possible career options and she gave me wonderful advice that I most definitely needed to hear. I shared with her an idea I had for my future and she told me to act on it immediately. Her wise and gentle demeanor inspired me to start forming my own path now and I believe her inspiring words during her speech will stick with me for years to come."
Bridget J.: “One of the key messages that Ginger Zee spoke about that resonated with me was her interpretation of the struggle with mental illness. As someone who has personally struggled with mental health issues, hearing her normalize it made me feel less isolated.”
Camila M.: “My favorite part of the Luncheon was being able to meet successful women within the community. Talking to them and getting their perspectives was truly insightful and inspirational. They were able to explain their steps to get where they are today and give me advice on achieving my personal goals as well.”
Annie K: “I especially enjoyed listening to Ginger Zee's speech. She went through her life story and how she ended up successful, even through all her obstacles… I learned that you can look fine to others on the outside, but not be mentally okay on the inside.”
Julia D.: “I thought Ginger’s speech was extremely inspiring… It helped me to realize that I don’t need to just fit in and conform to one career, I can follow my main passion but also make it into my own thing. I also enjoyed her advice about ‘putting up a fence.’ I liked this because I think it is very important to be empathetic towards people, but it is also something that can be very draining when you are giving your all to other people and not focusing on yourself. Her advice about the ‘fence’ really helped me to still be there for people, but also helped me to put up necessary boundaries.”