Penn State Fayette hosts 32nd annual Women’s Day
Keynote speaker LaDonna Gatlin told the crowd at the 32nd Annual Women’s Day that it’s OK to choose their own path.
The sister of the Grammy Award-winning Gatlin Brothers, who rose to fame in country music, shared her story at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, on Thursday of walking away from the family act just before her older brothers rose to fame. The Texas native gave it up because she married and didn’t want the difficult life of touring that came with a music career. Gatlin and her husband, Tim Johnson, decided to leave Nashville and return to Texas to raise a family.
Now married 38 years, the couple has two children and five grandchildren with another on the way. Life is also fulfilling through work as Gatlin became a public speaker in 1995, continues to sing and is a contributing writer to the best-selling book series “Chicken Soup for the Soul. She released her own book, “The Song in You: Finding Your Voice, Redefining Your Life,” in November.
“Hopefully, I can motivate and inspire people to be all they can be,” said Gatlin, 58, as she gave such simple-but-often-ignored guidance as remember your manners, take responsibility for who you are and do the right thing.
Gatlin acknowledged that life can be difficult. Suffering from depression, she attempted suicide in November 2008 but has bounced back.
“We’re all facing something,” she said, “but there is hope and help and healing.”
This year’s Women”s Day attracted about 160 participants, according to Tina Reed, chairwoman of the Women’s Day Committee. It annually features speakers and a community service and information fair.
“Women from the surrounding areas interact and share ideas while enjoying a day of camaraderie,” Reed said. “The event encourages community engagement and provides women with information about services and volunteer opportunities in our area. The participating organizations and speakers provide topics for learning and discussion.”
Francis Achampong, campus chancellor, gave his last welcome on this Women’s Day, having been named the next chancellor of Penn State Mont Alto, effective Aug. 1.
He said, “The issues that are important to you are also important to us because you are our wives, mothers and sisters.”
Workshop speakers included Trooper Stefani A. Plume, public information officer for the state police, who spoke about “Protecting Yourself and Your Identity.”
Plume advised people to use common sense by locking their doors and windows, and changing their daily routines so that burglars don’t know when they will be at home.
“The majority of burglaries we handle in this county happen during the day because burglars know you work, know you’re not there and know your neighbors aren’t there,” she said.
David Meredith, associate professor of engineering at Penn State Fayette, spoke on “The Past, the Present and (maybe) the Future,” noting how much life has changed in the past 100 years.
He said his father, who was born in 1911 and died in 2001, started life with a horse and buggy and lived to see space exploration.
Meredith, who was born in 1950, talked about the changes he has witnessed — most prominently in computer technology as it shrunk in size but grew in capacity. He also noted such current inventions that may only grow in the future, including nanotechnology, bionics and virtual environments.
Meredith said, “Kids today grow up with this stuff. They accept it. They expect it. They don’t realize it’s amazing.”
Susan Lynn, a native of Indian Head, who is now a partner with her sister and their Connellsville-native husbands in Sand Hill Berries and Greendance – The Winery at Sand Hill, located in Mount Pleasant, shared the story of their farm.
She said women have taken a more active role in agriculture in recent years, noting, “Before they were support but as husbands needed to go off the farms for work, women have become everything the husband was plus do their own work.”
Many of those attending Women’s Day on Thursday have participated for a long time.
“I don’t know how many years I’ve been coming,” said Pat Rogers of Uniontown. “I love it. I look forward to it.”
Sue Thomas of Uniontown said, “It’s wonderful to know what’s available here and what you can learn.”