AAUW Dialog

Laura Smiley Miller is a retired teacher from the Midwest who loves long drives in her convertible and motorcycle rides. Shannon Courtney Heard is an ambitious, recent college graduate and budding young professional. What could they possibly have in common? More than one may think. An unlikely friendship forged between the two due the philanthropy of one, the tenacity of the other, and a meeting of the two at this year’s 25th anniversary of the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL).

NCCWSL serves as a platform for young women to learn how to be effective leaders on their campus and within their communities. It also allows women to foster lifelong partnerships with those that they otherwise may have never met.

Heard was one of nearly 500 women who attended the conference and one of more than 50 who were fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from AAUW. Miller, an AAUW member for 52 years, supported the NCCWSL scholarship fund that made Heard’s attendance possible. After Heard learned that Miller was her scholarship sponsor, she set out on a mission to track her down before the three-day conference concluded.

“I was driven by her ability to give without knowing who will receive and knew I had to meet her. I just wanted to say thank you,” Heard said. She described their meeting as a humbling and important moment that redefined her perspective of what it meant to be powerful.

“I used to think that power was owning a number of tangible items or that it was a declaration of demands,” Heard stated. “I learned that it starts with a smile and ends with influence. Power, to me, is newly defined as the ability to be genuine, approachable, and influential.”

Miller was equally charmed by Heard’s enthusiasm. “I had never met any scholarship recipients face to face,” Miller explained. “I only met her because she hunted until she found me. I was terribly impressed!”

Heard left the conference, empowered, fired up, and ready to make a difference in her community by serving as a leader and mentor. “Leadership is more than a title and is not about power. It is the ability to pull the best characteristics out of individuals and the willingness to follow those individuals once the characteristics are exposed. At the conference, I learned when to lead and when to follow.”

She credits her faith in God and the support of her family for making her the leader that she is today. “My parents are very strong and wise. They constantly push me to be accountable and truthful in my actions, which are among the more important qualities needed for success in leadership and in life.”

Heard graduated in 2008 from William Carey University with a bachelor’s degree in biology and went on to receive a master’s of education administration and supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in May of 2010. She plans to pursue her doctorate in public health and epidemiology. With the skills she tapped into at the conference, she will be able to reach her goals and assist others in reaching theirs.

The trickle-down effect of one’s philanthropy and its impact on others remain incalculable. Although the paths of Laura Smiley Miller and Shannon Courtney Heard are very different, they have the same mission: to inspire women to be future leaders and mentors and to continue to “pay it forward,” so to speak.

This post is by AAUW fellow Maureen Evans Arthurs.