Hope College will host its fourth
annual "Women of Color Celebration," featuring testimonials,
a keynote address and a light supper, on Wednesday, March
28, at 5 p.m. in the Maas Center auditorium.
The evening's theme will be "Women of Color:
Dismantling Barriers through Courageous, Conscious, and
Caring Efforts." The keynote speaker will be Dr. Donna
Talbot, who is an associate professor of counselor education
and counseling psychology at Western Michigan University.
In addition, selected members of the Hope faculty, staff and
student body will share testimonials regarding their
experiences as women of color.
Tickets must be purchased in advance by Friday,
March 23, and cost $6 for the general public, $3.50 for Hope
students not on the college's meal plan and $1 for students
on the Hope meal plan. Tickets will be available at the
Student Union Desk in the DeWitt Center through Thursday,
March 15, and in the Student Development Office in the
DeWitt Center on Friday, March 16, and Monday-Friday, March
19-23, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The dinner and testimonials on March 28 will run
until approximately 6 p.m., with the keynote address
immediately following. Limited seating will be available on
a first-come, first-served basis for those unable to attend
the dinner but wishing to hear the address.
Talbot's scholarly and professional activities
focus on multiculturalism, diversity and professional
training. She has given numerous national and regional
presentations, and has published several book chapters and
scholarly articles.
Her responsibilities at Western Michigan
University include coordinating the Student Affairs Graduate
Program. Her other career experiences have included
spending two years developing the Office of Multicultural
Affairs and working as a clinical counselor at Dickinson
College. She was a judicial staff member at the University
of Maryland, a volunteer HIV counselor at the Whitman-Walker
Clinic in Washington, D.C., and a teacher with the Peace
Corps in Ghana.
Talbot completed her doctorate in college student
personnel administration at the University of Maryland in
1992. She completed a master's in special education at
Lesley College in 1985, and a bachelor's in sociology at
Amherst College in 1981. She also holds an Ed.S.
(educational specialist) from the University of Florida.
She is a nationally certified counselor. Among
other honors, she received the "Annuit Coeptis" Award for
outstanding emerging professionals from the American College
Personnel Association in 1993.
The Maas Center is located on Columbia Avenue at
11th Street. The DeWitt Center is located on Columbia
Avenue at 12th Street.
The event is sponsored by the college's Office of
Multicultural Life. Additional information may be obtained
by calling the office at (616) 395-7867.