Women's Leadership Institute celebrates year's accomplishments at annual Spring Capstone event

April 16, 2026 - Emily Jodway Patyna

Photos by Jacqueline Hawthorne.

The MSU Women’s Leadership Institute wrapped up the academic year with its annual Spring Capstone on April 9 at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center. The event brought together members of the WLI Student Cohort with alumni and supporters for a celebration of the year’s accomplishments, scholarship winners and graduating seniors. MSU First Lady Amy Guskiewicz was the evening’s keynote speaker.

This year’s theme of curriculum was Lead Loud: Amplify your Purpose. Cohort members participated in a range of workshops and discussions throughout the year with WLI Executive Board members, learning to navigate life’s challenges with competence and kindness, strengthen their confidence, and create intentional plans for change and community impact. 

“Purpose, we discovered, is not something that we find once and hold on to, but rather something that we grow into, something that we live out, and something that we express through how we lead and how we serve others,” said WLI Director Amanda Guinot Talbot.

Thursday’s event opened with an appearance by Sparty, a networking reception and a welcome from Talbot and College of Social Science Dean Brent Donnellan. Talbot then was joined by MSU First Lady Amy Guskiewicz for a fireside chat; the pair discussed Guskiewicz’s own experiences surrounding the ideas the students explored this year on finding purpose, making a difference in the community, and building a life shaped by meaning.

Guskiewicz’s personal journey to finding her purpose was not linear; she started out as a math and computer science major before discovering a passion for teaching and changing her major to education. She spent several years as an elementary school teacher, and later in life discovered yet another passion, this time for real estate. She conveyed to the group the importance of remembering that our passions and purpose may change and evolve throughout our lives. 

Talbot talked with Guskiewicz about what purpose means to her in her current role as First Lady, as she and MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz form relationships with members of the MSU community.

“It requires me to be present, to be doing the best I can every day to help folks feel like they're supported, that they're listened to, that they're educated, that they are getting what they need,” she said. “I love talking with students. It's inspiring, it's exciting, and it gives me so much confidence about the future of our world.”

She left the group with three pieces of advice: “Never be afraid to pivot in your purpose, keep your eyes open for new opportunities, and always stay positive and choose joy.”

Watch: WILX News 10: MSU College of Social Science Women’s Leadership Institute holds annual event

In the evening, a pair of Student Cohort members discussed some of the highlights of their time so far with the WLI. Sydney Bair, a Political Science Pre-Law major, is in her third year of the Cohort. Bair shared with the group her desire to find community among her peers after experiencing the tragic shooting on campus in the spring of her freshman year. She had received an invitation to apply to the WLI and knew in her heart that was where she would find that community.

“The Women's Leadership Institute has been pivotal in shaping my undergraduate experience,” said Bair. “I can confidently say that I would not be the person that I am today without the support it has given me. I started my journey in the WLI looking for a welcoming, positive community of Spartans that I could be a part of. Trust me when I say that the work and time you put into this institute will be well worth it and will provide you with not only connections, but a great community of women to be a part of.”

The group wrapped up the celebration with an acknowledgement of this year’s scholarship awardees and graduating seniors. A total of 13 students received funding that will be put toward research projects, experiential learning and study away trips, and leadership opportunities across eight different sponsored awards. Likewise, 13 women from the Student Cohort will cross the stage at Commencement in May. 

“To our graduating seniors, this moment is both a celebration and a beginning,” said Talbot. “You will leave here not just with meaningful experiences, but with a responsibility to lead and to carry forward what you've built here at MSU. All of us at the WLI are incredibly proud of each and every one of you, and can't wait to see the impact that you make in the future.”

See the full list of scholarship winners and graduating seniors below. 

To learn more about the MSU Women’s Leadership Institute, click here.

WLI Cohort Scholarship Awardees

Khadija Bilaspurwala | Carolyn Jackson Legacy Award

Sumaiya Imad | Ebert Family Leadership Scholarship 

Julia Malone | Ebert Family Leadership Scholarship

Noelle Whorf | Larsen-Becker DC Study Away Award

Emily Mason | Loaiza-Souza Leadership Award

Yeva Karapetyan | WLI Experiential Learning Fund

Ainsley McNamara | WLI Experiential Learning Fund

Nicole Jolley | The Barnow Empowering Leadership Award

Phoebe Malinak | TechSmith Student Leadership Scholarship

Daniela Ojeda | TechSmith Student Leadership Scholarship

A’Nyah Banta | Sollenberger WLI Cohort Scholarship Award

Tina Chiou | Sollenberger WLI Cohort Scholarship Award

Lily Dixon | Sollenberger WLI Cohort Scholarship Award

Noelle Whorf | Sollenberger WLI Cohort Scholarship Award

WLI Cohort Class of 2026 Graduates

Heba Awamleh | Political Science with minors in Human Behavior & Social Services and Arabic

Sydney Bair | Political Science Pre-Law with minors in Law, Justice & Public Policy and History

Kayla Cameron | Forestry with a minor in Urban and Community Forestry

Cierra Guinn | Genetics & Genomics, Human Biology, & Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science

Addison Heller | Political Science Pre-Law and Human Development & Family Studies with a minor in Women’s & Gender Studies

Ruby Hernandez-Torres | Social Relations & Policy with minors in Chicano & Latino Studies and Business

Teriona Hunter | Human Resources & Labor Relations with minors in Law, Justice & Public Policy and Business

Anjali Konkipudi | Political Science Pre-Law and Criminal Justice with minors in Law, Justice & Public Policy and Women’s & Gender Studies

Emily Mason | Interdisciplinary- Liberal Studies and Human Development & Family Studies with a minor in Law, Justice & Public Policy

Jaelynn Smith | Political Science with a minor in Law, Justice & Public Policy

Ola Turkey | Psychology with a minor in Leadership of Organizations

Michelle Ventura |Political Science Pre-Law with minors in Law, Justice & Public Policy and Philosophy & Law

Elif Yazgan | Psychology with minors in Art History and Visual Culture & Cognitive Studies