VALDOSTA – The Valdosta branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) recently hosted its 28th Annual Sister-to-Sister Summit.
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VALDOSTA — The Valdosta branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) recently hosted its 28th Annual Sister-to-Sister Summit, welcoming middle school girls from across South Georgia for a day of empowerment, leadership, and personal growth on the campus of Valdosta State University.
This year’s theme, “Reimagine the Power of SHE (Safety, Health, and Education),” guided the day’s programming and emphasized the importance of making positive choices and recognizing personal potential. The sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade girls attended a variety of interactive workshops covering topics on the proper use of social media, self-empowerment, maintaining a healthy mind and body, empathy, and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
“The adolescent stage from sixth through eighth grade is a very challenging time for middle school girls,” said Rosetta Coyne, co-president of the Valdosta branch of AAUW. “Through Sister-to-Sister, these girls learn that their voices matter more than the noise around them, that confidence can outshine doubt, and that every choice they make has the power to shape a future filled with strength, purpose, and self-belief.”
Sister-to-Sister 2026 was sponsored by the Valdosta branch of AAUW and the Valdosta Rotary Club. Community volunteers collaborated with AAUW members to lead workshops, facilitate discussions, and serve as mentors and role models. Throughout the event the goal was clear — empower each girl to make the best choices for their education, personal well-being, and future careers.
“More than 3,000 girls have experienced our Sister-to-Sister Summit over the past 28 years,” Coyne said. “Many girls have gone on to attend VSU, or other colleges and universities, thrive in careers they once only imagined, and rise as confident leaders who uplift their communities and inspire future generations to pursue their dreams.”
The AAUW has been empowering women as individuals and as a community since 1881. It brings people together for the common goal of breaking through educational and economic barriers for women and girls. It advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.
A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, the AAUW has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 branches and 800 college and university partners, including Valdosta State University. Collectively they work to analyze gender equity issues in education and the workplace; help shape the lives of the next generation of women leaders; level the playing field for girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; advocate for policies that advance equity for women and girls; support challenges to sex discrimination in higher education and the workplace; provide educational and lifelong learning opportunities for women; respond to the global development needs of women by helping them contribute to the economic and social development of their countries; fight to close the pay gap; and much more.
The Valdosta branch of the AAUW is primarily comprised of VSU faculty, staff, students, and alumni, but it is open to any woman with at least an associate’s degree. The Sister-to-Sister Summit is its flagship program and continues a decades-long commitment to supporting young women in the region.
Schools that participated in Sister-to-Sister Summit 2026 were Lowndes Middle, Pine Grove Middle, Berrien Middle, Brooks County Middle, Valdosta Early College Academy, Scintilla Charter Academy, Open Bible Christian, Valdosta Middle, and St. John’s Catholic.
Visit http://valdosta-ga.aauw.net/to learn more.
