To highlight Women’s History month, women of Florida Atlantic University were celebrated for their leadership and talent at the Women Making Waves event on March 30.

Student Government’s Multicultural Programming invited motivational speaker and writer Marni Spencer-Devlin to make a speech to female students on how to promote and achieve their individual talents.

Devlin believes women can make a difference in society by finding what it is that makes them unique. “You cannot be powerful unless you are aware of your significance and know how important you really are, that is how you make waves,” said Devlin.

She also expressed that women should not be afraid of male competition or sexual ignorance, but to make it a reason to do better and to shine as a woman. “It’s not about fighting injustice or ignorance, it’s about bringing change by knowing who you are,” said Devlin.

Logan Israel, the director of Multicultural Programming, said the purpose of the event was to inspire young women to strive for empowerment. “Being a woman and identifying as a woman is almost a cultural trait in itself … We would like to make sure there is a stance behind identifying as a woman,” said Israel.

The event also gave out eight awards to women who made great achievements in leadership and community service. Israel said there is a nomination system – students nominate others to be reviewed by Multicultural Programming – for women who are seen as outstanding and deserving.

One of the recipients, Laura Gomez, won her award for becoming president of the Multicultural Greek Council. Her leadership contributions sparked when she joined the Alpha Psi Lambda Fraternity. Gomez was able to find a support system through the fraternity and found out who she was as a woman.

Gomez said she appreciated the efforts made by Multicultural Programming to promote female leadership because it is often overlooked. “I see women as equal and more empowering than anybody and it is our leadership and hard work that is changing and improving things at FAU and society in general,” said Gomez.