This is an archived page for a past event. Click here for information about the 2023 G.L.O.W. Career Summit.

G.L.O.W. (Girls Leading Our World):
Reaching the Summit

Saturday, April 30, 2022

11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus
Catherine F. Scott Commons

Join us for a free inclusive event open to all young women in grades 9-12 and college students. In this year’s summit, you will hear from a diverse panel of career experts, and participate in interactive workshop exploring diverse career options.

Download a PDF of the 2022 G.L.O.W. Program here or scroll down the page for the event schedule and information about our speakers and panelists.

Schedule & Workshops at a Glance

SCHEDULE

10am-11am

Registration
(Lounge)

11am-11:15pm

Welcome & Introduction
(Room 211)

11:15am-12pm

Panel
(Room 211)

12pm-1pm

Lunch & Resource Fair
(Student Services Center)

1:10pm-2:10pm

Workshop Block 1
(Breakout Rooms)

2:15pm-3:15pm

Workshop Block 2
(Breakout Rooms)

3:15pm-3:30pm

Closing Remarks
(Room 211)

WORKSHOP BLOCK 1
1:10pm – 2:10pm

“Starring You” How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Career
Room 112

From producing the Paint Branch HS morning announcements to an award winning National Geographic television show, Shawna will give you insider tips into how TV production works.

Blood, Why Are You Pressuring Me?
Room 114

The workshop will focus on understanding what hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) is. Join this workshop to practice using blood pressure screening equipment and learn how to interpret results.

How To 101: First Impressions
Room 113

Making a great first impression in a professional or personal setting can be the key to success! Don’t miss these essential tips to shining on your first day and making sure you are ready for the “Real World.”

WORKSHOP BLOCK 2
2:15pm – 3:15pm

Networking & Relationship Building
Room 112

Did you know that becoming more confident at connecting with people can help you achieve your career, educational and personal goals? We’ll learn about what networking is and its advantages, provide tips on how to network and how to build your confidence.

More than Pretty Pictures: How Graphic Design can Inform, Influence, and Inspire
Room 114

Graphic design is a part of our everyday lives. Whether it’s a poster or a logo for your favorite brand – it’s more than just making something look good. Participants will learn about different areas of focus within graphic design and do some exercises to stretch their creative thinking and approaches.

Personal Brand Strategy & Understanding Ingredients
Room 113

Learn how your personality traits are the key to your success! We will work on brainstorming what each of the participants’ character says about their personal brand by creating individual coat of arms and sharing with each other.

Welcome from the Executive Director

On behalf of Community Bridges, I am thrilled to welcome you to the 7th Annual Community Bridges’ Career Summit, GLOW “Girls Leading Our World.” I am delighted that you have chosen to spend your Saturday with Community Bridges exploring diverse career options through interactive workshops. Our mission at Community Bridges is to empower girls from diverse backgrounds to become exceptional students, positive leaders and healthy young women. Today’s summit is a safe environment where all girls are welcome to grow, learn and be challenged to become tomorrow’s leaders.

I encourage you to take full advantage of the day and the many resources and networking opportunities available to you. You will hear from some amazing and dynamic women and make new friends from all over Montgomery County.

It goes without saying that the most effective way of getting the most out of your experience today is to…get involved! I encourage you to read through this book, ask questions, take notes, network with others and find a personal interest that inspires you to contribute to the day.

I hope that you will find today a truly rewarding and inclusive experience. Should you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. I am here to support each and every one of you as you begin your career journey today.

Sincerely,
Shannon Babe-Thomas
Executive Director
Community Bridges, Inc.

Shannon Babe-Thomas joined Community Bridges as the Executive Director on June 7, 2016. Shannon is an incredibly loyal nonprofit leader with over 20 years nonprofit experience. Shannon is a civic leader and believes in being involved in her community. Shannon serves on the Nonprofit Montgomery Board, the Committee for Montgomery Board, and the Montgomery Women Board where she is currently secretary. Shannon is the immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Downtown Silver Spring, graduate of the Leadership Montgomery 2018 Core Class, and served on the transition team for County Executive Elrich. Shannon graduated from Towson University in 2002 with a BS in Communications.

Speakers & Panelists

Panelists

TANIA GALARZA | Senior Director, Marketing Strategy at Marriott International

Over her career, Tania has worked across several industries including financial services, non-profit consulting, and hospitality. With a passion for strategy and marketing, she’s helped position organizations to best serve their customers and stakeholders. Since 2012, Tania has worked at Marriott’s global headquarters. Her focus has been supporting the Marketing organization in meeting its vision by managing direct reports, cross functional teams, consultants, and agencies. Driving strategy at Marriott, she currently helps Marketing leadership align on global priorities for investing enterprise-wide marketing dollars.

PATRICIA EPHRAIM | Principal Cybersecurity Strategist at Microsoft

Patricia partners with governments and organizations worldwide to develop cybersecurity policies that improve the security of critical infrastructure sectors (e.g., energy, finance, and water) vital to our everyday lives. Previously Patricia worked at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) developing cybersecurity regulations to protect the North American electric grid. In addition, Patricia held various roles in economics, business development, marketing, and compliance during her 15-year career in the energy industry.

JESSICA HOANG | Wells Fargo Branch Manager, Crown Farm Branch

As a Guru-For-Good for the last 5 years, Jessica has worked in collaboration with local Employee Resource Network and Maryland Public Affairs Council to increase employee engagement in giving and volunteerism throughout Maryland. She is celebrating 10 years with Wells Fargo as Branch Manager in Crown Farm in Gaithersburg, MD. She also is an advocate for diversity and inclusivity becoming the Communications Chair for GWDC/MD Chapter for Hispanic & Latino Connection and an Ally for the GWDC/MD Black/African American Connection for the last 3 years. She is a Board Member for AIGA DC coordinating the second year of CreateAthon, a 24-hour design hackathon.

DANIELLE CRAYTON | Americas Sales Director Hybrid Work & Microsoft Teams Rooms

Danielle Crayton is a sales and marketing leader with over 18 years of experience in technology and operations. She joined Microsoft in 2010 and currently leads a team of new product sales professionals, with responsibilities to major Fortune 500 customers across Canada, the U.S., and Latin America. Over the course of her 12 years at the company, she launched new products like Windows 8 and Surface computers, led strategic global product and sales initiatives, and worked abroad in the U.K. for two years.

ERIKA BOONE | Director, NIH Division of Loan Repayment

Dr. Ericka Boone is living the career of her dreams! As a trained neuroscientist, Dr. Boone understands the struggles and successes one encounters on the path to becoming an independent scientist. She has spent her entire career either being a scientist or helping others to become one. Currently, Dr. Boone works at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and serves as the Acting Director of the NIH Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW). In this role, she helps to develop programs and policies that assist early career scientists with receiving the research training skills and career development opportunities they need to ensure they are well-trained and prepared to address our Nation’s most important health and scientific goals. Dr. Boone also serves as the Director of the NIH Division of Loan Repayment, where she provides leadership and oversight of the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs), which seeks to prevent early career scientists from prematurely cutting short their scientific career path because of student loan debt.

ETSUBE YITBAREK | CB Alumna, Panel Moderator

Etsube emigrated from Ethiopia to the United States at the age of nine. She is a junior at University of Maryland at Universities of Shady Grove majoring in Communication and minoring in Public Relations. Etsube is involved in various clubs and organizations bringing positive changes to herself and her community. In high school, she was the Co-President of Key Club, a student-led organization that fosters leadership through community and global service, and a member of the National Honors Society. Outside of school, she volunteered at the Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Child Development Center, Nonprofit Village and more. She hopes to continue her education and ultimately travel back to Ethiopia to start her own nonprofit organization, like Community Bridges, to empower girls.

Speakers
Workshop Block 1

SHAWNA MELVIN | Video Producer

“Starring You” How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Career
Room 112

With a degree in Communications from Old Dominion University, Shawna works as a Video Producer at a digital marketing agency creating commercials for brands such as AT&T, Grubhub, and Facebook. She previously worked on a hit TV show for National Geographic and has helped create viral videos for an online news media organization. Outside of her 9-5, she works as a Baltimore Ravens Playmaker and was crowned Miss DC Earth USA in 2016.

PATRICIA RIOS | Community Health Improvement Manager for the Community Health & Wellness Department of Suburban Hospital

Blood, Why Are You Pressuring Me?
Room 114

Patricia Rios is the Community Health Improvement Manager for the Community Health & Wellness Department of Suburban Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Patricia holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion from American University and a Masters of Public Health from George Washington University. As the Community Health Improvement Manager, Patricia leads chronic disease prevention efforts for the community and serves as a liaison for ethnic and multicultural populations. She works closely with safety net clinics and local health coalitions to increase access to chronic disease treatment and prevention for Montgomery County’s uninsured and underserved residents. Her specific areas of expertise include community engagement, intervention design, program evaluation, and health education. She is also responsible for executing several state mandates and is the primary contact for public health internships and volunteering. Patricia is a strong advocate for equity and serves on the Latino Health Steering Committee for Montgomery County and Manna Food Center Board of Directors. In her free time, she teaches spinning, religious education, and walks her dog, Mars.

LINDSEY TURNBULL | Founder of MissHeard Media

How To 101: First Impressions
Room 113

Inspired by the teen girls she worked with in college, Lindsey created MissHeard Media. As a girl advocate with over a decade of experience, she has helped hundreds of girls embrace their most confident, competent selves. Using her background in history and leadership development, she uses

her research, writing, and presentation skills to create media and workshop experiences for teen girls. Lindsey’s ultimate goal is to help teen girls shape the world by encouraging empathy and global savvy. Lindsey holds a Master’s in Public History from the University of Central Florida, as well as bachelor’s degrees in History and Anthropology.

Speakers
Workshop Block 2

DEIRDRE ROBINSON | Vice President, Human Resources The Donohoe Companies, Inc.

Networking & Relationship Building
Room 112

Deirdre joined Donohoe in 1992 in the Human Resources department after working several years in the hospitality and staffing industries. She was quickly promoted and has since led the Human Resources function for Donohoe’s five divisions. As the company’s headcount has increased, Deirdre successfully augmented employee satisfaction while purchasing and delivering HR services more efficiently. Her ability to align employee engagement with maximum bottom-line results has allowed Donohoe to develop and support a productive, diverse, and talented workforce.

DANIELLE RICE | Assistant Vice President, Human Resources The Donohoe Companies, Inc.

Networking & Relationship Building
Room 112

Danielle Rice is Assistant Vice President of Human Resources of The Donohoe Companies where she uses her expertise and leadership skills to improve the entire employee life cycle for all business units: talent acquisition, engagement, development, performance, separation, company policy, and legal compliance. She has 25 years of experience positively impacting corporate performance through strategic planning, development, and execution of human resources programs and projects.

CARA CAPIZZI | Owner, Capizzi Designs

More than Pretty Pictures: How Graphic Design can Inform, Influence, and Inspire
Room 114

Cara is owner and creative director of Capizzi Designs, an independent graphic design studio working with associations, non-profits, and large and small businesses. Prior to launching her business full time in 2015, Cara worked as a senior designer at Abt Associates and several design studios in the area focusing on branding and marketing collateral. Cara is a native of Baltimore, MD and settled in Washington, D.C. after earning a BA in graphic design from American University. Coming from a family of teachers, Cara believes that with the right support and guidance, all children and youth have an opportunity to succeed and become healthy, productive adults who contribute to society. She also volunteers with Homeless Children’s Playtime Project, a non-profit that provides a safe and productive space for children to experience play while living in homeless and transitional shelters in D.C.

IRIS JIMENEZ | Chef, Culinary Director & Partner of La Casita Pupuseria

Personal Brand Strategy & Understanding Ingredients
Room 113

Iris is a native of Washington, DC and now resides in Silver Spring, MD. Her parents are Salvadoran- born and she is a first generation Salvadoran-American. Iris found her calling in cuisine while she was a Communications major at George Mason University. She has always been passionate about cooking since food and restaurants are in her blood. After working many years as a general manager and marketing manager after she got her degree, she realized that cooking would always be her true passion in the restaurant field. She enrolled in the Art Institute of Washington and received her degree in Culinary Arts. Upon graduation she worked as Culinary Director at El Paso Café and now La Casita. Chef Jimenez was chosen to be part of the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program in 2021. La Casita Pupuseria is also currently featured in the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum’s “Food for the People” exhibit, highlighting food justice, DC food history, and pupusas.

Community Bridges would like to thank our 2022 Career Summit Participants from the following schools:

Albert Einstein High School

Eastern Middle School

James Hubert Blake High School

Kennedy High School

Montgomery Blair High School

Newport Mill Middle School

Northwood High School

Paint Branch High School

Parkland Middle School

Springbrook High School

Silver Spring International Middle School

Takoma Park Middle School

White Oak Middle School

Montgomery College

University of Maryland at the Universities at Shady Grove

Bowie State University