Thalia Gavilanes

Thalia Gavilanes began her career at Saint Elizabeth University (SEU) in the fall of 2019 as a transfer student. She quickly excelled in academics and joined the SEU Honors Program in 2021. In the fall of that year, Thalia Gavilanes presented a research project: "Exceptionally Unexceptional: Women of Ancient Egypt" at an Academic Showcase for the Inauguration of President Gary Crosby, Ph.D. Her research and presentation were extremely well-received and earned the attention of President Crosby and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Anne Bartlett. A follow-up meeting with Dr. Bartlett directly inspired WREC, however, Thalia, in some ways, has been preparing for this conference her whole life.

"The reasons that I began WREC," states Thalia, "initiated from my childhood." As a young child, Thalia was always told, "to take full advantage of everything the powerful women before me had fought to obtain." Thalia followed that advice for most of her young life, however, recently Thalia felt like she needed to take a more public stance for women's rights. "Despite all of our hard work, women are still struggling to be taken seriously. We have accomplished professional and educational success, however, women still are devalued and overlooked. In many ways, we still do not have full autonomy over our lives."

Thalia desired to respond to these injustices in a dynamic, meaningful way that was accessible to her fellow students. Thalia explains:

I had a Eureka Moment! I recalled a conversation that I had with VPAA Anne Bartlett, where she told me about the impact that a student-run academic conference can have on the target community and how a successful conference can motivate students into action. That is when WREC: Women's/LGBTQ+ Rights and Equality Conference was born! I have worked diligently since that exact moment with Dr. Nicole Yanoso (Director of the SEU Honors Program) to make this conference happen.

Dr. Yanoso and Thalia hope this conference not only creates greater equality but also provides access to students at SEU and elsewhere. Through WREC, students can take their rightful place at the forefront of academic conferences and develop their public voice and intellectual curiosity.