This weekend, several Iowa State women learned an important lesson on pride and self-empowerment with the help of a supporting network of fellow students and faculty.

Nearly 50 Iowa State women attended the fourth annual Womyn of Colour retreat Sept 26 and 27 in Johnston, Iowa. The goal of the retreat was to provide support for minority women attending a college with a predominately white student population.

Womyn of Colour was founded four years ago by graduate students who saw a need for minority female students to make connections with each other. They support undergraduate and graduate students who identify as African, Latina, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander or multiracial.

“We discuss self-esteem issues and other issues that can come from being a woman of color on a predominately white campus,” said Angel Eason, graduate assistant in the Department of Residence.

Womyn of Colour strives to teach women valuable lessons that will help them succeed at Iowa State, Eason said.

“We promote wellness, community service, empowerment and — most importantly — scholarship,” said Lorraine Acker, graduate assistant in higher education. “They’re at college to get a good education and we help them succeed in that.”

The most important goal that this retreat strives to do is what they call soul work.

“Soul work is teaching these women how to empower and express themselves,” Acker said. “We have a voice on campus, so be confident to speak up when something isn’t right and to celebrate success.”

Glennda Bivens, graduate student in education, agreed that soul work helps the women feel more confident in their place at Iowa State.

“Soul work is really about empowering yourself as a woman of color,” Bivens said. “It’s meant to help mobilize you not just as an individual, but in the community as well.”

Not only did the students who attended Womyn of Colour learn valuable lessons of self-worth, but they also had a chance to meet others who share similar situations and experiences.

“In this retreat, we learn that there are other women going through the same things that [we] are,” said Carolina Rodriguez, senior in genetics. “People share their personal stories, and you realize you’re not the only one in those shoes. Someone else is experiencing the same thing.”

Along with the retreat, the women have a chance to be a part of the student organization associated with Womyn of Colour. The group allows for students to extend their retreat experiences throughout the year and network with other women.

Rodriguez said the student organization was created by students to further the lessons learned at Womyn of Colour beyond the weekend retreat.

“We’re an organization that strives to bring women together and connect with each other,” said Rodriguez, who has been treasurer of the organization for three years.

Thanks to fundraising and various donations the retreat is completely free for the students to attend. 

The graduate students running the retreat feel that the success of the retreat is measured in the women themselves.

“Success is seeing women having an active voice on campus in various leadership positions,” Bivens said. “It’s really been about seeing them grow and flourish as women of color and graduate here with pride in what they’ve succeeded in.”

Acker agrees that the retreat could not be successful without the work of the students.

“Success for me is seeing the undergraduate student group really evolve into doing things beyond the retreat,” Acker said. “They see a need for this connection and they are continuing to build upon relationships.”