For Jonathan Gaines, associate chair for outreach and engagement at the Woodruff School and WoW faculty liaison, one of the most encouraging signs of the symposium's impact is that students continue to make time for it.

“There was not one empty seat, and we even had to bring a few additional seats in so that some of those on our waiting list could attend,” Gaines said. “I believe that if you provide students with the right value proposition, they’ll find the time, and they are enthusiastic and attentive.”

This year’s event included a Young Leaders Panel featuring four Georgia Tech alumnae from Southern Company: Meredith Boswell, B.S. ECON 2024, M.S. SEEM 2025, renewable procurement project manager; Kristen Hepler, ME 2020, distributed generation interconnection engineer; Faith Hopperton, M.S. SEEM 2024, renewable development analyst; and Kali Nicholas, ME 2016, distributed generation engineering supervisor.

The panel and workshops offered students a range of perspectives on leadership and career development.

“I really liked seeing several young women stay after the end of the event to continue the conversations because what the speakers were saying really was actionable and relatable,” Gaines said.

Second-year mechanical engineering student Isabel Quintero returned to the symposium after attending for the first time in 2025.

“I left last year’s symposium feeling so energized and inspired by the professionals who shared pieces of their journey,” Quintero said. “So, when I saw the email for this year’s event, I immediately RSVP’d and blocked off the time in my calendar. I knew I didn’t want to miss it.”

Quintero said Smith’s session on the eight dimensions of wellness particularly resonated with her.

“Her formula has made it easier to mentally sort through priorities and carve out more intentional time for rest and replenishment,” she said.

Mechanical engineering doctoral student Daphne Lin, a WoW fellowship recipient, said she found it helpful to hear from the alumnae speakers about their career journeys and what they learned along the way.

“I really enjoyed the diversity in speakers,” Lin said. “It was really helpful to hear from speakers with different strengths and see how their strengths helped them achieve their goals.”

Lin said she also appreciated the connections the symposium created.

“It’s such a great way to meet others who have either been or are a student in the Woodruff School, so you can get so much advice and support out of this group,” she said.

That sense of community is among the outcomes Gaines hopes students carry beyond the symposium.

“I also hope that by interacting with the Women of Woodruff and their peers, students left the event knowing there is a support system that is there to help them succeed,” he said.

After the symposium, attendees received their WoW Leadership Certification. The 2026 WoW Leadership Symposium was sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, FirstCall Mechanical, Neptune Technology Group, Parker Hannifin, and Techwood Precisions.

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To make a gift or commitment to the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, contact Senior Director of Development Jaimie Hayes at jaimie.hayes@me.gatech.edu.

All gifts to WoW are included in Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech, a more than $2 billion comprehensive campaign through 2027 designed to secure the resources that will advance the Institute and its impact — on people’s lives, on the way we work together to create innovative solutions, and on our world — for decades to come.