51³Ô¹Ï Women's Council
The 51³Ô¹Ï Women’s Council (AWC) was established in 2018 to meet the demand for women’s advocacy, development, and empowerment at Alvernia. The Council reflects the needs and aspirations of women within the 51³Ô¹Ï community.
The mission of the AWC is threefold:
• To foster the personal and professional development of Alvernia women at all life stages
• To strengthen Alvernia women’s connection to each other and Alvernia
• To educate and inspire women to pursue or grow in leadership roles.
Stay Up To Date
Making A Difference
Since its inception, the AWC has spearheaded numerous programs, including the AWC Fall Luncheon, the AWC mentorship program, on-campus student programs focused on personal and professional development, quarterly networking events and cultivation events are meant to inspire and strengthen the engagement of AWC members to each other and the University.
The AWC has an established partnership with the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance’s Women2Women program to leverage and enhance programs and opportunities available to its members in the Greater Reading community.
Membership is open to the entire Alvernia community and everyone is welcome to participate. Individuals who participate in four or more programs, events, meetings or other activities annually would be considered active members. Members may include, but not limited to, Alvernia students, alumni, faculty/staff, volunteers, community members, parents, Leadership Berks graduates. Participation in AWC can be done virtually, in person or both. You do not need to reside in Berks County or surrounding communities to participate.
Invest In Yourself Leadership Summit
Check Out Prior Summits!
Bernardine Legacy Award
Check Out Prior Luncheons!
Upcoming Programs
October 2026
- Invest in You: Growth Mastermind - Oct. 6, 2026, through March 23, 2027
Monthly learning, coaching, collaboration and celebration of likeminded women in business who lead full lives at home and at work.
Meetings:
- Start Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, through Tuesday, March 23, 2027.
- 2 x month commitment for best outcomes over six months.
- In person meetings include light dinner and drinks, and alternate with Zoom meetings every two weeks (13 meetings total)
- Tuesday: In-person meetings at Upland Center, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday: Zoom meetings, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Objectives (with new class content)
- Know Thyself: Identity and Self Empowerment
- Self Care & Stress Relief: Filling Our Tool Box
- Power of Voice, Communication & Conflict Resolution
- The Lens & Language of Leadership/Influence
- Boundaries & Promotion in the Workplace
- Best Practices: Growth & Success at work and at home
Investment: $695* (one or two payments)
- or call 610-796-8327
- Bonus! 1, 75-minute personal coaching/strategy session
- Welcome Pack: Journal, workbook, bonus gifts
- *NOTE as professional development, can be considered a business expense or may be covered by employer
- Retiree and Student investment: $395
**Proceeds of this program support the Newcombe Scholarship, which provides scholarships to Alvernia Adut students seeking to complete their undergraduate degrees.
- Don’t Let Your Finances Haunt You – October 8
A Woman's Guide to Wealth, Worth and Freedom
Identify your limiting stories around money
Get comfortable with investing- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Zoom
Presented by Jodi Bukowski, Wealth Manager, Lifetime Financial Services, and Dena Breslin, CTACC, Certified Life, Relationship, Business Coach.
- Making Time for What Matters – October 27
- Time: 5 p.m.
- Location: Upland Center
Have you ever felt like there aren't enough hours in the day for the things you love? Effective time management can help change that. This presentation highlights how planning, prioritizing, and managing your time wisely can reduce feelings of being overwhelmed, increase efficiency, and free up valuable time for family, friends, hobbies, and personal goals. Learn how small changes in your daily habits can create more opportunities to enjoy life outside of work. Ann Brugger, Development Director from Scouting America Hawk Mountain Council, will share time management strategies and tools to help you make time for what matters!
Information
In addition to attending programs or becoming a mentor/mentee, we encourage you to become involved in one of the AWC Committees. Committees meet on average once a quarter.
The Events & Engagement Committee promotes awareness of the AWC and its mission and fosters relationships among AWC members through the support of quality programming. It reaches out to and engages with AWC constituencies, whether it is other AWC members, students, alumni, or the entire Alvernia community, and actively seeks ways to engage women with the AWC. The committee invites interested women to join the AWC, fosters relationships, and identifies women that could take a leadership role within the AWC. Engagement through events can be accomplished by creating new and/or stand-alone programs or by partnering with other organizations/departments/events connected to the university or other organizations that align with the AWC’s mission. These events may be held on campus or the community at large.
The Professional Advancement & Opportunities Committee is dedicated to promoting and facilitating mentorship, internship, and job opportunities for 51³Ô¹Ï students and alumni. The committee works with the O’Pake Institute, Holleran Center and Institutional Advancement to identify and secure internships, mentors and job opportunities for students. Mentor and mentee relationships can occur between current students and AWC members, alumni and community members based on matched interests.
The Awards & Recognition Committee recognizes Alvernia alumni and students who have distinguished themselves throughout their lives. The committee seeks nominations and identifies candidates for the Bernardine Legacy Award, and makes recommendations to the Steering Committee for approval. The committee also seeks nominations and identifies candidates (alumni, faculty, professional staff and students) for the Alvernia Magazine. The committee identifies ways to thank and recognize alumni and student volunteers who support the University.
The Steering Committee establishes goals and identifies priorities for the Alvernia Women’s Council. The committee reviews and evaluates the results of all committees’ activities and assesses how the activities accomplish the goals and priorities of the Council. Specifically, the Steering Committee’s goals included increasing Council and committee memberships, developing a budget and creating income streams for the Council and increasing student engagement and recruitment.
Thankful to our partners...
Giving Back
Proceeds from AWC events support the Newcombe Scholarship Fund. This fund provides support to adult students who need financial aid to complete their education at Alvernia. Learn more about .