The Women’s College hosted the annual GRRRL Power Hour on Oct. 24, featuring an inspiring talk from local leader Philippa Lewis Moss.
Lewis Moss, director of the Gainesville-Hall County Community Services Center, shared with students the advice her friends had given when asked what they would share with their younger selves.
Lewis Moss said she found her success after asking for it – literally. She talked about the odd jobs she worked while pursuing her master’s degree, including changing street lights with the city of Long Beach, California.
“While working a temporary job, I found myself mindlessly entering data in the basement of the California State University Chancellor’s Office,” Lewis Moss said. “A few days before a holiday, the vice chancellor walked downstairs to wish everyone a happy holiday. As he concluded, he added ‘If there’s anything I can do for any of you, let me know.’”
Lewis Moss went to him the following Monday. She found out they had attended the same university, and he was impressed by her willingness to work.
A week later, at 28 years old, she was hired to a position that recruited and hired college and university presidents.
“Sometimes, you have to ‘grind before you dine,’” she said.
Other advice included financial literacy, professional development, fostering relationships, and personal improvement.
“Be a woman of substance. We live in a world that is obsessed with appearances, but remember that beauty fades but substance sticks around,” Lewis Moss said. “So stand for something powerful, something important… Give yourself what you want from others.”
The informal convocation also included performances from Tau Sigma, KLovers, the Vocal Chamber Ensemble, and closed with the song “Stand By Me,” led by student India Williams.
All photos by Sidney Chansamone for Brenau University
