Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy to Celebrate 15 years with Celebration Friday

The Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy will hold a reception at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Gertrude Ford Center.

The Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy is celebrating 15 years this Friday, September 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Gertrude Ford Center.

The Women’s Council, which began February 14, 2000, is an extremely unique group of accomplished Ole Miss alumni women. The group of founding members came together 15 years ago to create scholarships to benefit students not only with financial support, but by teaching the importance of servant leadership and providing mentoring for scholars throughout their tenure at Ole Miss.

Since the start of the organization, the Council has been encouraging mentoring, philanthropy, and leadership to the scholars. In addition, Council members annually raise funds to provide programmatic support. The Rose Society, an annual fund, and the Legacy Award dinner help to provide the much needed funds that the endowment doesn’t cover.

One of the founding women, Katie Hester, not only gives back her time to the OMWC as a past chair, but has also mentored scholars. Hester has had the opportunity to mentor students in five different fields of study.

Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy scholars

“The best part of being a founding member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council has been the opportunity to return to the Ole Miss campus to work to make an Ole Miss education available for this generation of scholars,” Hester said. “As well as seeing those scholars 15 years later as they begin their families and careers and impact the lives of the people at their work and in their community.”

The Ole Miss Women’s Council emphasizes the importance of creating relationships, and Hester treasures the relationships she has formed through working with the Council.

With Hester and many OMWC members, other attendees for the 15-year celebration will include scholarship donors, Rose Society members, University administration, along with current and former scholars. Notable community figures will also be in attendance, including Archie Manning, Chancellor Emeritus Robert Khayat and Governor William Winter.

Karen Moore, an Ole Miss alumni and Council chair, is excited to celebrate the people who are a vital part of the organization.

“The 15^th anniversary celebration is an opportunity for us to recognize the donors who have made it possible for us impact the lives of Ole Miss students who will go on to make a greater impact upon graduation,” Moore said.

The scholarships funded by the Ole Miss Women’s Council have had great success directly from scholarship donors, the reasoning behind the anniversary celebration.

Throughout the 15 years, the Ole Miss Women’s Council has awarded 112 scholarships and has an endowment in excess of $11 million. The scholarships provide $32,000 in financial support, but all scholars receive mentoring, arguably the most important feature of the scholarship.

Emily Richmond, a senior from Jonesboro, Arkansas, a recipient of the Nancy Harrelson Akin Council Scholarship and University of Mississippi Foundation Council Scholarship, owes much of her success to the scholarship program and the women involved.

“The scholarships they (OMWC) provide are really multi-faceted,” Richmond said. “It’s not just aid, it’s an amazing mentoring program.”

For more information on the anniversary celebration and sponsorship opportunities, please call Nora Capwell at 662-915-2384 or visit the OMWC website at www.omwc.olemiss.edu .