The American Association for Women in Community Colleges will host its annual conference called Women Hold up the Half the Sky on May 1 at the Cerritos Public Library from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The mission of this conference is to bring men and women from community colleges together to network with each other, motivate them, educate them in different topics, and give them personal and professional growth.

“I have been attending for five years, they have very inspiring speakers, and it’s a great way to network, when I show up people know me by name,” Pamela Chambers, program assistant II, said.

“I kept in touch with Rhonda Britten,” Chambers continued. “She was one of the speakers at one of the conference. When I lost my daughter, I e-mailed her and she help me get through it.”

Miriam Tolson, program assistant II, said, “The conference is for the south coast area, for colleges in Los Angeles County and Orange County.”

Tolson is an AAWCC board member that represents Cerritos College and networks with other community colleges.

She adds, “I have been attending the conference for the last eight years, now I have the opportunity to volunteer as a committee member.

“I enjoy it, it’s very rewarding to see the outcome and how it aids people when they return to work with additional knowledge of their job and inspired to grow professionally and personally.”

The conference is open to everyone in community colleges; staffs members of community colleges, faculty, students, men and women, the topics of the conference are issues that involve everyone.

The keynote topics are:

• Dr. Dana Churchill “Knowledge for your body and mind”
• Dr. Ted Boehler “Leveraging Technology in the Community College”
• Mr. Jose Rivas “Building a Better Budget”

Chambers said, “With the way that the economy is right now this year I’m looking forward to topic on building a better budget, this will be great it will help a lot of people.

“When you leave the conference you always take something with you that stay with you forever.”

Megalis Lopez, intermediate typist clerk, said, “This will be my second year attending the conference, I like it because it’s a bunch of women that know what it’s like to work in a community college, they really make you interact with others, I’m looking forward to the guest speakers, workshops, the food, and the vendors.”

Deborah Thomas, program assistant II, said, “The conferences are very empowering. It is a day to pump yourself up, the topics are really good. It is nice to go to be able to go to a place and see the same people and socialize with them.”

The fee to attend the conference is $50 for AAWCC members and $60 for non-members. The cost includes continental breakfast, catered hot lunch and parking.