Governor's Remarks at 19th Annual Women's Conference

Governor's Remarks at 19th Annual Women's Conference

Thank you Maria and I want to thank Jillian and her entire team for the incredible job you have done to make this conference such a powerhouse event.

I also want to thank all of you for coming to the conference. What a lineup of speakers today Barbara Walters, Isabel Allende, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Billie Jean King, Jane Fonda, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to name just a few. And of course, the greatest of them all Maria's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. How about that for being on the good side of your mother-in-law?

I love to see everyone coming together here sharing ideas, supporting each other and celebrating what Maria talks about all the time: The countless roles that women play in our society, mothers, sisters, wives, employees, bosses, volunteers, adventurers, care-givers and incredibly, many of those roles all at the same time. Women truly are the Architects of Change at home, in California, and around the world.

And tonight we are honoring 4 dynamic Californians as winners of the Governor's Conference Scholarships, Jennifer Sue, Nancy Singelman, Eva Perez and Nida Kereshy.

Hundreds of Californians competed for these scholarships and these are the Fantastic Four, the best of the best. They were spectacular in each of the areas that were considered including their academic performance. But that does not begin to tell their stories.

Each has suffered heartbreaking adversity but showed amazing strength to overcome it and now they want to put a positive stamp on the world through public service.

And let me tell you this is so inspiring to me because I know how much these women have been asked to sacrifice, or how much has been taken from them and you would think it would have made them hard and bitter.

But instead it unleashed a noble commitment to helping others just as they were helping themselves to succeed.They are Red Cross volunteers, supporters of the disabled, children's charities, youth sports, cultural exchange programs and so much more.

And in their essays where we asked them to share what public service means to them we see women with amazing vision and personal conviction. Nida, our Math and Science winner is from Pakistan. She wrote that public service can "create bridges where diverse cultures will meet, and where women will cross over and attain their dreams."

Her words, and the words found in all of the essays make it perfectly clear that the same generous spirit the same caring and compassion found in the Minerva Award winners is alive and well in the next generation of Californian leaders and givers. Their potential is California's promise.

So thank you on behalf of all Californians and congratulations to each and everyone of you on another fantastic conference.

Thank you.

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