This past spring two young women, Emilie Crossman from Oakdale and Sahiba Kaur from Escalon flew to the University of Maryland to attend The National Conference For College Women Student Leaders, NCCWSL. Only about 800 young women have the opportunity each year to attend NCCWSL, the premier leadership event for college women in the United States and globally.

Crossman and Kaur were each given a stipend to attend the conference from The American Association of University Women, Oakdale-Riverbank-Escalon Branch. At the Saturday, Sept. 8 luncheon meeting of the ORE Branch, Kaur, now an upper division student at the University of California at Davis, will share her conference experience including the opportunity to see and hear Tarana Burke, social justice activist and founder of the Me Too Movement, and the 2018 NCCWSL Woman of Distinction Simone Askew, who broke barriers as the first African American woman to serve as first captain at West Point – The U.S. Military Academy.

AAUW Oakdale Riverbank Escalon Branch’s annual membership meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in a member’s home. Cost of the lunch is $12. Prospective members in the Oakdale, Riverbank, or Escalon area are invited to attend the meeting to hear Kaur and to learn about the Branch’s plans and programs for this coming year. Call (209) 847-0271 for information and directions and to make reservations.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. Since 1881, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day – educational, social, economic and political. Graduates holding an associates or higher degree from an institution of the AAUW list of qualified institutions and persons holding an honorary degree are eligible for membership in AAUW. For further information about AAUW, log on to www.aauw.org. Information about the AAUW, Oakdale Riverbank Escalon branch is at http://ore-ca.aauw.net.