Rutgers logo
Douglass Residential College

Douglass Celebrates International Women’s Day

Womens Day Group Photo

Douglass Residential College gave International Women’s Day a local twist this year as it welcomed the 140 women’s organizations at Rutgers in a celebration of their accomplishments and the accomplishments of women worldwide. Almost 200 students, alumnae, and members of the Rutgers community participated in the day’s festivities. 

The first annual “Women’s Day at Douglass” presented by the Douglass Diversity and Inclusion Program featured guest speakers, an involvement fair with women-lead organizations at Rutgers, a complimentary LinkedIn headshots station, an interactive art-wall room, and more to help students, faculty, staff, and alumnae celebrate the contributions of women near and far.  

The event took place at the Kathleen W. Ludwig Global Village Living Learning Center from 12 noon to 3 p.m. on Friday, March 8.  

Dr. Ivonne Díaz-Claisse, founder and CEO of Hispanics Inspiring Students’ Performance and Achievement (HISPA) was one of three keynote speakers in attendance. Her organization encourages students’ success by working to recruit and coordinate Latino professionals’ participation in educational programs in the communities they work and live in. To date, she has been able to recruit nearly 1,500 volunteers. Ivonne holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Puerto Rico; a Masters in Engineering in Operations Research from Cornell University, a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Arizona State University. 

She brought her message of leadership, empowerment, and social change to students with her speech entitled, “With the Endless Power of our Voices.” 

Other speakers include Sara Zayed, DRC’16, who shared an inspirational message through her journey from Douglass student to young professional in her “Pursuit of Purpose” speech.  She is on a mission to change the world with whole-food, plant-based nutrition. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2016 with a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics, then acquired a Plant-Based Nutrition certificate from Cornell University and became an ACSM certified personal trainer. She founded Posifitivy (poz-i-FIT-i-vee) in 2015 with the mission to spread awareness of plant-based nutrition, while also refocusing the pursuit of good health on body positivity and self-love. 

Deborah J. Holliday DC’85, a life empowerment coach, had a message for students to love themselves from the inside out with her “#LoveYourSelfie” speech. She gave participants a crown, and wanted them to see their crowns as a symbol of power and confidence. Deborah earned a B.A. in English and a minor in Education and Religious Studies from Rutgers University, and her Masters in Social Work from Monmouth University.  

In addition to the speakers, students enjoyed food, prizes, a photo booth, and a curated, women-centric playlist.