Juniors Shine at Rising Together Women’s History Conference

On Saturday, March 22, Moravian Academy students Hailey Migut '26, Laila Ali '26, and Elena Koprowski '26 participated in the Rising Together Women’s History Conference, a local event dedicated to recognizing emerging leaders—especially women—who often go unrecognized in their communities. This year’s theme, “Tech, Talk, and Transformation – Defining Autonomy for the 21st Century,” explored innovation, communication, and empowerment across three distinct segments: Tech, Talk, and Transformation.

Hailey, Laila and Elena took on significant roles in the conference—Hailey as a featured panelist, Laila as an emcee, and Elena as a speaker. Hailey joined a diverse panel of women from various educational and professional backgrounds, discussing the theme of pivots, passion, and purpose. Panelists shared how career shifts led them to discover their passions and purposes. Hailey reflected, “I chose to speak about pivotal moments that are shaping what I want for my future career since my perspective was a bit different.”

Meanwhile, Elena was a selected speaker for the Tech segment, delivering a ten-minute speech on technology policy and how it supports youth leadership. Other speakers explored topics such as 6G, immersive symphony experiences, and mental health. Elena described the experience as both inspiring and meaningful, saying, “I absolutely loved this experience. Not only did it allow me to practice my presentation skills, but it also allowed me to interact with members of my community who I don't frequently interact with. Laila, Hailey, and I were the youngest participants of the conference, and I personally felt it was an honor to be considered such a valuable voice. It was an inspiring event to hear such a variety of women talk about themes that were important to them. It was evident that each and every one of them, myself included, were extremely passionate about their causes and eager to share them with the world.”

The students became involved in the conference after being nominated by Melanie-Rose Wentum '25, who spoke at the event the previous year. Their nomination connected them with Ms. Ngozi Bell, the event’s founder and a parent of alumni Okezue Bell '23. To secure their participation, they met with Ms. Bell to discuss why they believed they would be a good fit for the conference.

Reflecting on the event, Hailey shared, “My favorite part of the conference was being able to speak alongside well-educated women in various fields and network with all of the individuals who spoke at or attended the conference.”  Elena especially enjoyed the awards ceremony, which featured a local artist and honored community members with glass recognition plates. She shared, “The awards ceremony at the very end of the event was my favorite part. Scattered throughout a lovely fashion show that featured a local artist, glass recognition plates were handed out to valuable members of our community. It was a pleasure to see such hard work get acknowledged. Of course, I also loved being there with my classmates, Laila and Hailey, as they made the 'being the youngest in the room' feel a little less strange and a lot less lonely.”

The Rising Together Women’s History Conference provided a meaningful platform for these Upper School students to engage, learn, and share their voices alongside inspiring women from a variety of fields.