Wise Testimony: Women of Impact kicks off its existence by hosting Voices of Wisdom

By Madison Dyer

On November 7th, Women of Impact, a female-led initiative of Cedarville University, hosted its launching event in the Scharnberg auditorium at 7 p.m. Complete with fresh fruit, an assortment of delicious dips, scrunchies, and invaluable wisdom, the kickoff could not have gone better. Titled Voices of Wisdom, the panel highlighted the experience of other Christian women who had passed through difficult seasons of life and learned that trusting God is the only true peace in chaos.

Kimberly Park, the event organizer and assistant director of development at Cedarville University, opened by giving a roadmap for the evening and sharing how Women of Impact came into being because Cedarville’s female supporters and alumni sought to be more involved with the female students on campus. Their mission focuses on cultivating relationships between women of different ages as well as empowering current students via scholarships and grants.

“Women of impact creates opportunities for engagement between generations of women and channels impact to students through scholarships and enrichment grants,” reads their brochure.

Emily Johnosn, a senior Biblical Studies and Acceleration major, was awarded a scholarship that very evening. Park mentioned that anyone who registered to attend would continue to be considered for more scholarships through the end of the year. 

The remainder of the evening included words from keynote speaker, Jenna Powell. She shared her testimony, from starting a business at age thirteen, to God directing her steps and leading her to become involved with politics when she was so certain that was something she would never do. Park also assembled a panel of three women from campus – Carrie Holt, Dr. Janice Supplee and Dr. Kris DeWitt – who shared their stories and encouraged their listeners to lean into God, because his plan is a thousand times better than any plan imagined by human minds. 

Tears were shed that evening, and each story blessed listeners. One attendee, Abby Estes who is a Freshman nursing student, shared her biggest takeaways.

“It was so encouraging to hear about the Lord’s faithfulness in every step of [the panelists’] lives, and how they had to open their hands and let go of what they wanted in their lives to follow God’s will,” Estes said.

Whether they saw it in the Daily Buzz, heard about it from a friend or stumbled upon it on a random slideshow in the Stevens Student Center, attending Women of Impact’s kickoff event was surely an excellent use of a female Cedarville student’s time. 

For more information:  Women of Impact | Cedarville University

Madison Dyer is a Freshman Professional Writing and Information Design student, who grew up in the nearby city of Xenia but now lives with her family just within the Cedarville Township limit! In between various seasonal obsessions, she enjoys drawing fictional characters, playing guitar, and engaging in general shenanigans

*Photo taken by Madison Dyer