FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 18, 2012

CONTACT: Sara Schoonmaker, VP-PR, Kappa Delta Sorority Sschoonmaker14@jcu.edu (716) 560-4106

Girl Scouts of the USA Former CEO Kathy Cloninger to Speak at John Carroll University on Selling Confidence and Leadership (University Heights, OH)- Kathy Cloninger, Former Chief Executive Office of Girl Scouts of the USA, will speak to students at John Carroll University on success, leadership, and confidence Tuesday April 24th at 7 p.m. in The Dolan Center for Science and Technology room 202-203. Ms. Cloninger has been invited to John Carroll as a keynote speaker in an effort to groom women for leadership. I want girls to know they are powerful, that they have a contribution to make, and that they bring value to their school, community, and work. I want to tap that leadership urge in them.- Kathy Cloninger In a recent interview with Forbes, Mrs. Cloninger noted that women are lacking at the top, take any industry in America, less than 20% of people at the top are women. This statistic shows just how much talent is being left out. Women are faced with a barrier. Cloninger says women dont see leadership as a serious track for them. Additionally, our culture is not open to women. Our country defines leadership with a narrow, masculine lens. So how do we get women to harness their talents, and realize they have a contribution to make? Three women at John Carroll University have asked this same question, and are now putting their confidence campaign into action. As part of Dr. Jen McWeenys Philosophy of Love and Sex seminar each student is required to do an activism project of his or her choice. Sara Schoonmaker, sophomore, Taylor Greene, senior, and Elizabeth Kuhn, sophomore, have taken on the challenge of promoting womens confidence and leadership at John Carroll University. This campus wide campaign, has received immense support and funding from the John Carroll University. James H. Martin Ph.D., Associate Dean and Director of Graduate Business Programs at John Carrolls Boler School of Business, noted that women need more confidence. He said women in business class's do not speak up as much as their male peers, it's not that they don't know the concepts, rather they lack the confidence to voice themselves in the classroom. SOURCE: John Carroll University student, Sara Schoonmaker