Last night, our office hosted our third and final Young Women’s Leadership Program for the 2024 session. We first launched this program in the summer of 2016 and look forward to welcoming a new class of participants and panelists each year.

This program offers young women in ninth to 12th grade an opportunity to meet and interact with professional women who have built successful careers in their chosen fields. Participants and panelists take part in open roundtable discussions and have the chance to learn about potential career opportunities and develop leadership and communications skills.

Our first session was held at the St. Cloud Police Department and focused on women in law enforcement. We were lucky to be joined by female law enforcement leaders from across the Sixth District including representatives from the St. Cloud Police Department, Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Stearns County, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

Our second session was focused on women in public service. We were honored to be joined by a panel of female mayors from the Cities of Carver, Chanhassen, Victoria, Anoka, and Waconia. It was a great opportunity for participants to meet their local elected officials and receive advice and encouragement as they prepare for life after high school.

For our last session of the 2024 Young Women’s Leadership Program, our panel discussion was centered on mental health.  Our panelists included mental health experts from the Hazeltine Betty Ford Foundation, CentraCare, Alina Health Care, Fairview Health Services, and Anoka County Dispatch. The transition between high school and college is stressful for many young adults, during our discussion, panelists shared tips and strategies for managing and prioritizing mental health.

If you are interested in learning more about our Young Women’s Leadership Program you can find more information at: emmer.house.gov/young-womens-leadership-program. We are incredibly proud of this program and look forward to seeing it continue in 2025 and beyond.