2023 Women Who Amaze Summit: May 19-20
The 2023 Women Who Amaze Summit held on May 19-20 was a rousing event with something for every taste and preference. JMU alumni keynote speakers and session leaders shared their expertise and experience to inform, move and motivate attendees. We laughed, we cried and we celebrated! Check out a photo essay HERE.
Career Webinar: Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Join us for a panel discussion-style webinar with accomplished JMU alumni. These women will be sharing their career journeys, and how they are achieving success. Learn how to accelerate your career in the first 10 years after graduation. 12:00-1:00 pm
Brunch on the Bases: April 15, 2023
Join other Women for Madison (including JMU First Lady Mary Ann Alger) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX with a panel discussion and delicious brunch at Veterans Memorial Park. Then, stay to watch the game as JMU takes on Troy University. Your participation will benefit JMU Athletics.
Women for Madison Marks A Decade of Redefining Philanthropy
As Women for Madison marks a decade of helping women engage with the university, Amethyst Circle donors will see major results as 10 first-year students receive $5,000 awards, renewable for all four years of college.
Barbara Bouldin (’87) Empowered By Her Place in the Amethyst Circle
Barbara Bouldin (’87) vividly remembers her first impression of JMU: “There was something intimate, warm and friendly. It was natural – not something you put on while people are here for their tour – a really natural feeling. I came home and said, `I'm headed to JMU.’”
Jamie Jones Miller (’99) Leads By Example
Jamie Jones Miller (’99) is a leader in the JMU Nation. “I bleed purple,” she avows. “I've been a donor or volunteer for the university since the day I graduated. I can’t see another way.” That’s why she was glad to add Women for Madison to her list of commitments.
Meredith Hummel (‘95) Inspired to Share the Madison Experience
Roni Jennings (’84) Inspired to Give Back
Amethyst Circle Founder Roni Jennings (’84) remembers being one of only four women studying geology at JMU. “I showed up, curious and ready to work hard,” she says. “JMU met me where I was and did not limit me because of my gender.” Now, Jennings works to give others the same opportunities.
Imagine What Happens Next
One year ago, a few JMU women wondered how they could help outstanding, but financially burdened, students stay all four years at JMU. Today, the Amethyst Circle is closing in on a $1 million scholarship funded by the passion and financial contributions of 200 women. Just imagine what happens next!
Amethyst Circle Donors Share a Sense of Urgency
As the Amethyst Circle reaches the midpoint of its two-year giving cycle, changes in higher education plus competitive pressures increase JMU’s need to start awarding these scholarships to talented students ASAP. It takes just 70 more Madison women to make that possible. Will you be one of them?
Why JMU Scholarships Matter to Us All
Vonya Alleyne ('93) was able to come to JMU, in part, due to scholarships she received. She has gone on to make achievements that make a difference to us all. Today, she joins other Madison women as a significant philanthropic force for JMU, creating scores of scholarships through the Amethyst Circle.
You (Yes, you!) can be an ally to women of color at work
What can white women do to support the movement of women of color in organizational pipelines? What can men do? Over 300 registrants heard specific examples of how they can be effective allies during the Women for Madison webinar featuring Kick Some Glass co-author Dr. Jennifer Martineau.
What JMU Women Know About Changing the World
What do the women of the Amethyst Circle know about changing the world? That it starts by sharing the Madison experience with new students who will shape the future. And that starts with women coming together to lead a scholarship program that makes the Madison experience itself even more transformational.
Making History by Changing the Future
The 100+ women of JMU’s Amethyst Circle are on a multi-million dollar mission to reduce financial barriers for freshmen seeking to attend JMU, help JMU recruit more top students and send more JMU graduates out into the world. Making history and changing the future: Does working together get any better?
Is Philanthropy Supposed to Be This Exciting?
Through Women for Madison’s Amethyst Circle, Adora Williams (JMU ’95) comes full circle herself: from needing financial aid so she could attend and graduate from JMU, to “thinking big” with other JMU women who are emerging as a major philanthropic force in empowering new students to do the same.
More Stories
Staying Connected
Our "Women in Tech" webinar on December 9, 2021, discussed how to navigate barriers and seize opportunities by successful JMU alumnae leaders in the tech industry.
Join the Amethyst Circle
On May 22, Women for Madison announced its founding of the Amethyst Circle, a first-of-its-kind giving circle at JMU. Goal: $1 million for scholarships and female-focused philanthropic programming.
Summit 2021
May 21-22, Women Who Amaze 2021 Summit was a weekend of strengthening friendships, growing your JMU alumnae network and rediscovering a love for all things JMU.
A Time to Un-Win(e)d
On September 24, Women for Madison gathered to raise a glass of the grape to toast its new Amethyst Circle initiative while learning about viticulture at local winery Brix and Columns. See the story.
JMU Women Power Up
Beth McConnell Bliss (’84) on the importance of engaging and investing in JMU’s mission: “I want women to step forward now to become a significant philanthropic force for JMU into the future.”
Supporting Our Students
Women for Madison learned to set souls on fire from Slay Like a Mother author Katherine Wintsch (’99) at a Richmond rally hosted by Lauralee Allen (’07) and Allison Purcell (’95). The event raised $3,600 for JMU student scholarships.
Women for Madison has been an active organization at JMU since 2013. See stories from the past in our online News Archive. For the most up-to-the-minute news and information, please connect with us on social media.
Women for Madison is guided by the university's statement
on non-discrimination and equal opportunity. Events and
activities are open to all genders.
