Mark your calendars for the 4th Annual Saluki Women’s Weekend, taking place October 2-4, 2025! This empowering three-day event celebrates the strength, leadership, and innovation of Saluki women through networking, panels, breakout sessions, and special recognitions.
The weekend kicks off on Thursday, October 2, with the Women in Engineering Industry Reception (5-7 p.m., location TBA). On Friday, October 3, join us at the SIU Student Center Ballroom for the Saluki Women Empowerment Conference & Vendor Fair (7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.), followed by the Saluki Women Networking Social at Becker Pavilion (4:30-7 p.m.) featuring the Saluki Sisterhood Walk.
On Saturday, October 4, don’t miss the Women in Leadership Mentorship Breakfast (9-11 a.m., Student Center Ballroom) and the Saluki Women’s Tailgate Experience at Saluki Row (12-2 p.m.).
“Women are amazing, women are innovative, and women are passionate,” said Sherrica Hunt, assistant vice chancellor for development and alumni relations, anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion and corporate partnerships, at the SIU Foundation.
The vision of the WLC Mentor Program is to facilitate the connection of students with successful women mentors to align classroom learning with real-life experiences, develop leadership skills, network, and explore career paths after college. The goals of the WLC Mentor Program are as follows:
- Facilitate professional growth, development, and confidence of mentees
- Provide an avenue for women to develop and demonstrate leadership abilities
- Provide networking opportunities to enhance teamwork, professional insight, coaching, development and realization of the value of women’s contributions to SIU Carbondale and future organizations
- Create lifelong donors focused on contributing to the sustainability to SIU Carbondale
“It has been so neat seeing some of the students and recent graduates connect with the more seasoned alumni,” said Melissa Hahn, SIU Women’s Leadership Council board member.
Visit siuf.org/wlc for full details and updates.