Last fall, my sister invited me to go camping for a weekend with a friend of hers at Assateague Island. I don’t think I’ve been camping in my adult life, so I hesitated, but I agreed to the adventure. And to be clear, when I say camping, I mean sleeping on a bed secure in her camper.
There we were — a group of five or six women — cooking delicious food over a fire, laughing and imbibing. The waves crashed nearby. The occasional horse meandered through. I buried my feet in the sand as I gazed at the stars overhead. The two women who owned the campers impressed me with their ability to do all the things — work generators and battery systems, employ processes for lighting the area, monitor water usage and troubleshoot things that never would have occurred to me to prepare for.
I felt this overwhelming sense of independence and freedom, as though I could live there for the rest of my life, eating chicken off a stick without worrying about where I put my phone. There was magic in the spirit of it all. We talked about our lives, laughed, danced and listened to music, while connecting and finding strength in each other.
This fall, as our Carroll Magazine team worked on this issue, I felt that spirit, like it’s a good time to be a woman. As the editor of this magazine and a writer before that, I’ve had the opportunity to interview probably hundreds of women who have left me awestruck and inspired after learning about their journeys.
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, more than three hundred women will gather for a day of learning, connecting and collaborating at the third annual Carroll County Women’s Conference. The idea for this conference was born by some local businesswomen, and it has spread like wildfire — selling out each year and forcing planners to find bigger venues and ways to include more participants. The attendees spend the day discussing and dissecting everything from facing fears and dealing with conflict to addressing issues related to physical and mental health, leadership skills and much more. Many leave the day feeling strong and motivated, with a sense of belonging.
In this issue, you’ll learn about women who have shattered glass ceilings and paved the way for others (page 52), and you’ll meet Carroll Community College’s new president, Dr. Rose Mince (page 14). In my interview with Mince, she noted that for the first time, the leaders of all three of the county’s prominent educational institutions — Carroll Community College, Carroll County Public Schools and McDaniel College — are all females.
Here’s a cheer to the changing of the season and to the generations of women who have worked so hard to move us all in a better direction.
Kym Byrnes
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