“Filipinas, it’s time to get in formation and FLY.” — Dr. Robyn Rodriguez
To be a Fly Pinay is to FLY. Is to rise. Is to uprise.
On Saturday, March 11th, 2017 we hosted our inaugural Fly Pinays Leadership Summit for 100+ Filipina students (mentees) and professionals (mentors) in a day of mentorship, cultural embrace, and female empowerment — and we did it as Filipinas do — in song (we sang SWV’s “Weak”), in dance (we Wobbled), and in good food with even better company. Following 5 months of community planning and organizing, the pinnacle of our work culminated in a day themed around, “Breaking Through, By Being You”. The Fly Pinays Leadership Summit pushed the message of leading a life fueled by self-love, authenticity, and unapologetic confidence, as a Pinay finding your way in today’s world.
With the help of community partners and volunteers, our Fly Pinays attendees collectively represented 12 Bay Area colleges and universities (SJSU, SCU, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Sac State, USF, SFSU, Stanford, De Anza, Chabot Mission and UC Santa Cruz) and 40+ Silicon Valley-based companies and agencies.
From 8am-5pm, the Fly Pinays Leadership Summit featured keynote addresses from Daly City Vice Mayor Juslyn Manalo and UC Davis Asian American Studies Professor Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, panel discussions with local entrepinayers and game changers, and a string of workshops related to Self-Empowerment & Love, Filipina Identity and Interviewing Skills.
Throughout the day, our mentors and mentees experienced educational workshops, discussed ways Filipinas can support each other, and how we can increase our shared community leadership today. L.E.A.D Filipino prioritizes creating spaces and facilitating opportunities conducive to knowledge transfer, peer-to-peer (and mentor) connections, and exposure to the issues Filipinas face today.
The Fly Pinays Leadership Summit was truly symbolic of community unity, courage and resilience. My fellow Pinays, the time to lock arms, stand shoulder-to-shoulder and rise up, is now.
Maraming Salamat to everyone that contributed to the success and achievement of our first Fly Pinays Leadership Summit. We couldn’t have done this without you.
Ingat,
Angelica Cortez
L.E.A.D Filipino
