Nancy Oppong, center, of Livingstone College pauses for a photo at the the 2025 National Collegiate Conference of Women Student Leaders. - Submitted

Two Livingstone College students were selected to attend the 2025 National Collegiate Conference of Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) at the University of Maryland at College Park late last month.

Freshman Biology majors Nancy Oppong of Ghana and TyAnna Robinson of Chicago, earned scholarships from AAUW Salisbury, AAUW North Carolina, and Strada Education Foundation to engage in an event framed in uniting college women from across the nation for a transformative experience in leadership development, networking and inspiration.

Under the new leadership of NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, the conference welcomed college students who identify as womxn or outside the gender binary, in efforts to provide a welcoming and empowering space. Through engaging workshops and hands-on activities, NCCWSL aims to challenge attendees to make meaningful impacts on their campuses and communities long after the conference ends.

“I did not anticipate I’d meet so many like-minded women in one space. The speakers were amazing. The content was penetrating. The people had high energy, drive and purpose. This is an experience I will never forget,” said Robinson.

The students were chaperoned by AAUW Salisbury Branch President Da’Tarvia Parrish who also serves as faculty at Livingstone College and Director of the Honors Program. This year, Dr. Parrish was among the conference workshop presenters, who was highly regarded for her presentation, “From Prison Bars to PhD: Challenging and Changing the Carceral Space.”

Nancy Oppong said, “Dr. P is an all-star on our campus at Livingstone, and although I am familiar with her, I was in awe when I saw how the other young women in her session gravitated towards her requesting photos and contact information. This did not happen in the other sessions. It was emotionally thrilling.”

For 40 years, NCCWSL has motivated thousands of young women to pursue their goals. This year’s conference hosted over 500 women from hundreds of colleges and universities inspiring them to fuel their passions, find their purpose, and drive meaningful change through their NCCWSL experience. To learn more about NCCWSL, go to https://www.naspa.org/events/nccwsl