Students encouraged to take pride in sense of self during annual Grrrl PowHER Hour

Brenau Women’s College students were inspired and motivated by Gainesville native Tyra Wimpye on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the annual Grrrl PowHER Hour.

“Over the past year or few years of your collegiate journey, what moments illustrate your happiness, your success and your personal accomplishments?” Wimpye asked the crowd during her speech, Finding Your Spotlight: Trusting Yourself & Your Journey. 

“I’m encouraging you all to trust the process and trust your journey. Take a moment every day to encourage, enlighten and engage yourself with things and people who are 100% for you,” Wimpye said. “And I’m encouraging you that if you don’t love it, lose it.”

Wimpye is the theater director at Gainesville High School and graduated from Spelman College, a historically Black women’s college in Atlanta. She shared her personal journey and how she forged her career path, from an interest in politics to her dance career, despite a major medical setback.

Grrrl PowHER Hour is an annual informal convocation hosted by The Women’s College, and highlighted this year’s GOLD Program “D” year of diversity and global awareness. The GOLD Program is an ongoing component of The Women’s College and previously devoted the “G” year to gender awareness, the “O” year dedicated to ownership of personal responsibility and the “L” year focused on leadership. 

The event, which aims to motivate and empower students, also featured performances by Tau Sigma dance fraternity, the cheer team, the step team and the Brenau Vocal Chamber Ensemble. Katie Watkins, the 2022 Baxter-Bryant Scholarship winner, also delivered greetings and an encouraging message to students during the convocation.