On March 19, Detroit Mercy’s Student Life and Campus Activity Board put on its Phenomenal Women’s Reception. This event celebrates the uniqueness of campus by honoring all the woman identifying members of University of Detroit Mercy.
The event is an evening dedicated to celebrating the lives of women at Detroit Mercy, where a faculty member/staff member identifying as a woman, nominated by students, receives the Ashley Grey Legacy Award for her outstanding contributions to the community. This year’s reception was the 20th annual, and with March being Women’s History Month, this made this anniversary even more special.
The event was hosted by Emily Johnson and featured some students’ poetry that was read during the event. Dr. Stacy Gnall received the Ashley Gray Legacy Award. Gnall is the author of the poetry collection “Dogged.”
She holds a doctorate in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Southern California and is also a graduate of the University of Alabama’s Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing.
For this event, you might ask, “what does it mean to be a phenomenal woman?”
“I believe that to be a phenomenal woman there are many layers,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, what it means is to live authentically and be guided by values at the core. When women support one another, they are empowered. When women support their community, they build bonds that are difficult to break. Phenomenal women create a solid foundation for others to build upon. There will always be hardships and work to be done, however, phenomenal women can lean on each other and overcome any challenge they may face.”
This year’s honoree definitely checks all the boxes. As Gnall accepted her award, she read a beautiful poem that was about her mother.
Professor Mary-Catherine Harrison who was also in attendance and spoke specifically about Maya Angelou.
“I can’t think of a phenomenal woman without thinking of Maya Angelou, who wrote the poem that was the inspiration for UDM’s event,” Harrison said. “Angelou had a difficult life in many ways, but she was powerful and compassionate—and she knew her own worth.”
An event such as this is so important because not only is it honoring all the important women at the University; it gives inspiration to the next woman about all the glass ceilings she can break.
