At this year’s 12th Annual Young Educated Ladies Leading (Y.E.L.L.) Female Summit, young women of color celebrated the power they hold in shaping the future together.
Approximately 250 students from local high schools and colleges attended the free event at Highline College to hear from 31 presenters and panelists and participate in workshops. Topics ranged from identity and connection to purpose, power, inherited beliefs, storytelling, and resilience.
Rickitia Reid, director of institutional equity, strategies & initiatives at Highline College, said this year’s theme, “InnovateHer: Creating Our Future Together,” was about innovation and creating a future together because today’s young people are growing up in a world that’s changing faster than any other generation before them.
“They deserve to see themselves not just adapting to that future, but shaping it,” Reid said. ”Young women are innovating, but they don’t always get the spotlight. At the summit we encouraged them to experiment, question, and create.”
Keynote speaker and cultural worker Kiesha B. Free said the theme has significance because “each of us matters in the future we’re trying to create with each other,” and that “reclaiming our true selves” is important for the collective.
According to Reid, Y.E.L.L. is a space where young women of color are seen, celebrated, and encouraged to envision their future beyond what they may have imagined for themselves. She noted that for many high school students, being on a college campus allows them to see it as a space where they belong and can see themselves attending.
Across the day, students were surrounded by women of color, said Reid. From fellow students to presenters, panelists, faculty, and staff—all who reflected their identities, experiences, and strengths. “That representation matters,” she said. “It allows students to see successful women who look like them leading, teaching, creating, and thriving in different career fields and communities.”
“The summit also provides opportunities for young women to build confidence, leadership skills, and meaningful connections through workshops, conversations, and shared experiences. Our hope is that students leave with a stronger sense of belonging,” Reid noted.
“Most importantly, Y.E.L.L. sends a clear message to every participant: we see you, we value you, and your presence is an essence,” she said.