Elon Weekend celebrates women’s health while surpassing $2.5 million goal for student internships

The second annual Women of Elon Week brought together the Elon community for two days focused on empowerment, inspiration and change. The event was centered around the six dimensions of well-being in HealthEU: community, emotional, financial, physical, purposeful and social.

Elon Women is an international network that connects members of the Elon community on campus and around the world.

“When this initiative began two years ago, the name Women of Elon was intentionally chosen to bring everyone together in the Elon community. But we also recognize the power in the acronym ‘WE.’

Held on March 13 and 14, the weekend began with an introductory discussion on authenticity featuring Cathy Niven ’89, president and CEO of Biscuitville, in conversation with Elon Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Alexis Franzese P’29.

Saturday’s program included breakout sessions such as Mastering LinkedIn, The Power of Women’s Friendships, Managing Finances, Using Soft Skills, Aging and Living to the Fullest, Protecting Your Personal Brand and Using Artificial Intelligence. The Women’s Health Panel, organized by university physician Dr. Terry Lee, examined the physical, mental and emotional aspects of women’s well-being.

Health and wellness was a major focus of the lunchtime fireside chat between Book President Connie LeDoux and Today Show nutritionist Joy Bauer. Bauer, a featured expert on NBC News Daily and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 14 books, shares practical advice on nutrition and healthy living.

Speaking to the audience at the LaRose Digital Theater, Boyer encouraged attendees to adopt her “90/10” approach to food — prioritizing healthy options most of the time while allowing room for indulgence.

“A lot of people, especially women, carry a lot of groceries, and when you allow yourself that percentage or half (…) it’s very freeing,” she said.

Recognizing the range of ages in attendance and reinforcing Elon’s intergenerational focus on women, Bauer emphasized that health and nutrition are evolving.

“Our bodies are not static,” she said. “But I’m not saying they’re betraying us; they’re growing. Talk to them and figure out what you can do to make them feel better is the name of the game.”

During the question-and-answer session, Bauer answered questions from the audience on topics such as increasing protein in food products, healthy meal planning, increasing GLP-1 drugs, supplements and ways to reduce plastic use in the kitchen. She also encouraged attendees to look beyond sensational headlines and social media trends when it comes to nutrition advice.

“Get your blood checked annually and then personalize your nutrition accordingly, because your body is not tick-tock,” she said. “Charismatic people and influencers on Instagram and TikTok and all these other social platforms, they don’t know what’s going on inside you, but your doctor does and they do your blood work.”

Beyond programming, the weekend also highlighted the ongoing work of Elon women to support students. A key initiative focuses on increasing the number of students receiving need-based internship support. While 88% of Elon students complete at least one internship, 43% of these internships are unpaid.

Recent support has helped advance this goal. A $250,000 gift from former Elon trustee Bill Herbert ’68 and his wife, Marsha, helped the Elon women reach their $2.5 million fundraising goal three months ahead of schedule, bringing the total to support the internship to $2,679,610.

“While the Herbert family’s gift helped us reach our goal, it was the collective strength of the women of Elon that made it possible,” said Priscilla Oakard ’95, co-chair of the Elon Women’s Advisory Council.