Three members of the NDSU campus community are among 41 women that have been nominated for YWCA Cass Clay's 50th annual Women of the Year Awards event, scheduled for Monday, April 24.
The NDSU nominees are:
• Kayla Jones, graduate services assistant for Student Success Programs and NDSU graduate student
• Heather Gades, student manager for Residence Life and NDSU graduate student
• Natalie Lemnus, sales intern at Emerging Prairie, NDSU finance and marketing double major and peer mentor for Student Success Programs.
“I am extremely honored to be recognized in this way by the YWCA,” Lemnus said. “Being involved on campus and in the community is something I do solely because I love it and believe involvement is important.”
Nominations were accepted in 13 categories:
• Advocating for Equality
• Arts and Culture
• Business Management and Entrepreneurship
• Communications
• Community and Volunteer Service
• Education
• Faith Community
• Health and Wellness
• Lifetime Achievement
• Science and Technology
• Young Woman of Today and Tomorrow
• Youth Advocacy
• Leader in Women’s Empowerment
Category award recipients remain confidential until the night of the event.
Jones is nominated in the “Advocating for Equality” category. She works with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at NDSU with a focus on supporting students of color on and off campus.
“It’s an incredible honor and I am so grateful,” Jones said. “Being nominated alongside so many incredible women reminds me that the work I do is important but it can’t be done alone. I can only hope to continue to make the organization proud.
Gades is nominated for “Young Women of Today and Tomorrow.” She is an advocate for inclusion of all students in NDSU Residence Life and helped spur the creation of a committee in the department that focuses on inclusion and outreach. She also spearheaded a student survey for all on-campus apartments to address sense of belonging and community climate.
“Making the world a better place is one of my biggest passions and I really enjoy getting to make a difference in whichever way I can,” Gades said. “It’s humbling to know that others in my circle recognize the work I’ve done and the contributions I’ve made.”
Lemnus also is nominated in the “Young Women of Today and Tomorrow” category. At Emerging Prairie, she aided in the curation and execution of TEDxFargo 2022, Prairie Capital Summit, 1 Million Thanks and the “Who Builds Fargo?” panel. At NDSU, she is a peer mentor in the Rising Scholars program, a Bison Ambassador and a Student Government senator for the College of Business.
The YWCA is scheduled to host nominees from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Delta by Marriott in Fargo on April 24.
All proceeds from the event support the programs of YWCA.
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