It has been 50 years since Hillsborough Community College (HCC) first opened its doors and began educating the people of Tampa Bay. To celebrate, each of the college’s five campuses is holding an event open to the community. On March 22, the Brandon Campus will host a women’s leadership seminar with workshops, mentorship opportunities, a keynote speaker and panel discussions.
“We are so proud to have been an active part of our community for so long,” said HCC Brandon Campus President Nancee Sorenson. “And we are excited to use this opportunity to reach more women of all ages.”
The event, titled Celebrating Action in Leadership: Women Who Make a Difference, will be held at the Brandon Campus Conference Center on Friday, March 22 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The date was chosen to coincide with Women’s History Month which takes place in March.
During the day, attendees will have the opportunity to choose between multiple workshops, listen to panels and enjoy the Scholarship Luncheon with keynote speaker Betty Viamontes.
“Ms Viamontes is a dynamic speaker with a unique story to tell,” said Sorenson. “An HCC alum and author of three books, she came to the area as part of the boat migration from Cuba. She has held many interesting positions during her career and is currently in discussions to have a Hollywood movie made from one of her books.”
Women at the event will also be given the opportunity to join a new female mentorship program with students attending the college.
According to Sorenson, who has been president of the campus since 2015, the event has more than one purpose.
“We feel that it is very important to create a women’s leadership seminar that is affordable and interesting,” she said. “We are also using the opportunity as a fundraiser for scholarships for women to attend HCC.”
Fifty students will attend the seminar on scholarships and there are 110 tickets available for the community to purchase. Tickets to the full-day seminar are $90 and there is also an option to only attend the Scholarship Lunch for $60.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Contact Sorenson at 253-7817.
