Category Archives: Recent News

Lunch Bunch 2023-24

We have been meeting with a great group of young women monthly at the new site of the Arlington
Community High School on Fairfax Drive in Ballston since September. These young women each have their own journey that led them to this alternative high school program. We continue to acknowledge and celebrate the fact that they take the time each month to hear from various role models and to consider their own next steps in creating their future selves.

Our Lunch Bunch program has a strong focus on self-care, mental health and overall well-being. This month’s speaker will be a part two for Ms. Jennifer Gross of APS.
Earlier this school year, she shared her very own compelling journey as an EL learner dealing w/ cross cultural issues. As coordinator for Social Emotional Learning for APS, Ms. Gross will focus on “Calming Strategies for Stressful Times” and The Healthy Mind Platter for self care.

Our students found our December speaker, chef Daniela Hurtado of Kitchen of Purpose, highly relatable. Amongst sharing stories of her personal journey as an EL student, she spoke about opportunities for bilingual culinary training and courses on how to launch a small food business.

The 15 -20 young women each month are focused, eager and forward-looking! Come join us on the third Thursday of the month to meet some of our wonderful lunch bunchers!

Mary Beth Pelosky and Meg Tucillo,, Lunch Bunch

AAUW Va Conference Canceled

Dear Branch Presidents,

It is with many regrets, but, our AAUW of VA Board after much discussion decided that due to the increasing concern about the coronavirus and the Governor’s Declaration of a State of Emergency and urging of non-profits to curtail large meetings, that we should cancel the State Conference scheduled for April 17 – 19. There are many ramifications to this and things that still need to be worked out according to our bylaws and normal practices. Please stay tuned for further information regarding all of this including an electronic opt in for our Annual Business Meeting which will be held on April 18th.

In the meantime, please post the following announcement on your website and FB pages and communicate with all of your members.

The 2020 AAUW of Virginia State Conference, scheduled for April 17-19 in Alexandria, has been CANCELLED due to concerns about the health and safety of our members. We will be refunding all registration fees. For those who reserved rooms at the hotel, you will need to cancel those reservations individually.

We give a big thanks to the conference organizers Joanne Clark and Arlene Shapiro, our AAUW of VA VP of Program, Sandy Lawrence, and the branches who volunteered to assist with the event.

We will be holding our 2021 State Conference March 12-14 at the Holiday Inn and Suites Alexandria (same hotel we were going to use in 2020).

Everyone stay safe!

Thank you all for your cooperation and understanding,

Carol Stephens and Leslie Tourigny

Co – Presidents of AAUW of VA

AAUW Arlington STEM Initiative 2020

Science Fairs in schools today are the birthplace of most research performed by students all the way from 1st grade through high school. Elementary schools have adopted the challenge and are working much harder to foster scientific literacy by having children plan and conduct their own research projects. Often, students’ research leads them to careers in scientific fields. Recently, Arlington was ranked #3 best place for Women in Technology.

We would like to raise the profile of our Branch of AAUW by encouraging young women to pursue studies in scientific fields. Susan Senn and Sara Anderson have secured a place among the organizations who judge selected projects after the official judging is over at the Regional Science Fair on March 21. We propose one first place and three runner-up awards in each division (Middle and high school), for a total expenditure of $375. The Branch Board of Directors gave preliminary approval to this proposal at its January meeting.

February 2020 Lunch Bunch

Ms. Carmen Hackett, shown with Patricia Sanguinetti from Arlington Community High School, Meg Tuccillo, Maryann Ullrich, and Susan Senn of AAUW.

On Thursday, February 20, our guest speaker was Ms. Carmen Hackett. She is a 53 year – old firefighter/paramedic with DC Fire and EMS and was featured this past summer on the local ABC and NBC news for her career accomplishments. She is a single mother with a 14 year- old son. Her rise to fame began with an AA degree in Culinary Arts. At the age of 20, she moved to DC and worked for GSA. Wanting more excitement in her life, she earned her Emergency Medical Technician Certification and began work with DC Fire and EMS. After 10+ years, once again she challenged herself and earned an Intermediate Paramedic Certification. That effort required 3 separate 6-month long training courses, 11 attempts to pass the qualifying exams, and 5 years total effort. Then, not content yet, she earned her full Firefighter designation in the Spring of 2019. Throughout her career, she has continued to challenge herself and has risen to the status of her current job. Along with her job, she enjoys hand dancing, painting and movies. She has 3 other jobs in addition to her Firefighter/Paramedic duties. Her presentation was quite humorous and really impressed upon the girls the notion of “Never give up!” She is the perfect example of “Make It Possible”.

The Lunch Bunch young women, after a pizza, salad, cookies, fruit, and Valentine’s candy lunch, listened intently to her story. They asked several questions after about what it took to keep her going forward. They enjoyed her presentation very much.

2020 AAUW VA Conference

The conference will be held in Alexandria at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites on April 17-19. It promises to be an excellent remembrance and celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the passage of the 19 Amendment.

The conference is being hosted by the AAUW Virginia Northern District Branches. Each branch in the district has been asked to sign up for specific responsibilities in order to make the conference happen. We (Arlington) have agreed to staff the registration table, in addition to the Registrar of the conference, Tammie Mullins-Rice of the Virginia Beach Branch. (See below for how to sign up).

Each branch will also be asked to donate a basket to be raffled off at the event. These can be themed any way that branches deem appropriate; it has been observed that those with wine included seem quite popular.

Here is the program:

Friday, April 17

Pre-Conference Optional Tour of the Alexandria Black History Museum (2:30 p.m.)

– Registration (3:00-7:00 p.m.)
– Evening get together (cash bar) (6:30-9:30 p.m.)
– Presentation by the ladies from the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial

Saturday, April 18

Optional morning walk (6:45-7:15 a.m.)
Registration (7:45-10:00 a.m.)

CONFERENCE BEGINS 8:30 a.m.

– Keynote Speaker – Janice E. Ruth, Library of Congress
– Business Meeting
-Workshops (Choice of 1 morning & 1 afternoon session)
– Luncheon with Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., Speaker
– AAUW: 20/20 Vision—Kendra Davis, AAUW Senior Vice President for Advancement and Partnerships
– Panel Discussion
– First Timers/New Member Reception
– 7:00 p.m. Conference Banquet Honoring Woman of Achievement Awardees
Senator Janet Howell and Scientist Ana Humphrey

Sunday, April 19

Optional morning walk (6:45-7:15 a.m.)
– Branch Diversity and Inclusion Points-of-Contact Meeting (8:00 a.m.)
– District Meetings (8:30 a.m.)
– Basket Drawings
– Panel Discussions
– Business Meeting – adjourned by 12 noon

Post-Conference Optional Activity (12:45 p.m.) Women’s History Walking Tour given by Elisabeth Johnson, PhD

To register online, go here: https://aauw-va.aauw.net/2020-aauw-of-virginia-state-conference-registration/

See the brochure: https://aauw-va.aauw.net/files/2020/02/Brochure-Conference-2020-Alexandria-FINAL3_compressed.pdf

Guaranteed Way to Meet Scores of AAUW Virginia Members!

Plans for the AAUW Virginia 2020 Conference in Alexandria April 17 and 18 are coming together. Looking at the program, it should be an exciting and educational event. This Conference runs on volunteer effort; each AAUW branch in Virginia is asked to take on a specific task, and altogether, a complete conference occurs!

Gail McGinn and I are on the organizing committee, and have agreed that AAUW Arlington’s part will be to staff the registration desk, providing our branch the opportunity to meet, and welcome to our neighborhood, literally scores of AAUW Virginia members from all over the state. These are among the most interesting folks I’ve ever met, no kidding. (Also, Carol is from Tennessee, and wants to share the experience of being a volunteer with everyone!)

While the Registrar of the Conference will be there to collect registrations and payments, we will sign in Conference attendees, get them their nametags, packets, and meal tickets, etc.

The shifts we need to staff with 2 persons each are:

Friday, April 17: Saturday, April 18:

2:00PM to 4:00PM 7:15AM to 9:15AM

4:00PM to 6:00PM 9:15AM to 10:30AM

6:00PM to 7:30PM

Please let us know your availability and your shift preferences by email to Carol Dabbs (presarlvaaauw@gmail.com) or Gail McGinn to sign up!

–Carol Dabbs and Gail McGinn