[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/highlights\/nikki-haley-speaks-to-sold-out-crowd-at-faulkner-universitys-annual-benefit-dinner\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/highlights\/nikki-haley-speaks-to-sold-out-crowd-at-faulkner-universitys-annual-benefit-dinner\/","headline":"Nikki Haley speaks to Sold Out crowd at Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner","name":"Nikki Haley speaks to Sold Out crowd at Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner","description":"Nikki Haley speaks during Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner on Oct. 3 MONTGOMERY, Ala.\u00a0\u2013 Women and history were recognized at this year\u2019s Faulkner University Annual Benefit Dinner last week featuring keynote speaker, Nikki R. Haley, the former United States Permanent…","datePublished":"2019-10-11","dateModified":"2019-10-11","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/#Person","name":"Rebecca Burylo","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/author\/rburylo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37a0c97fbd1eda89e38697defcaf0573?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Faulkner University","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Official-Horizontal-480x128.png","width":480,"height":128}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/d_ti1_0274.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/d_ti1_0274.jpg","height":1920,"width":2400},"url":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/highlights\/nikki-haley-speaks-to-sold-out-crowd-at-faulkner-universitys-annual-benefit-dinner\/","about":["Highlights"],"wordCount":842,"articleBody":"Nikki Haley speaks during Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner on Oct. 3MONTGOMERY, Ala.\u00a0\u2013 Women and history were recognized at this year\u2019s Faulkner University Annual Benefit Dinner last week featuring keynote speaker, Nikki R. Haley, the former United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on October 3 at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.For the first time in many years, the guest speaker for one of the River Region\u2019s largest social events of the year, featured a female guest and the evening\u2019s events provided a subtle, yet moving recognition of women, in particular women\u2019s suffrage.This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Congress passed the amendment on June 4, 1919 and it was ratified on August 18, 1920.\u201cAlthough many might want to argue that progress has been slow over the last century, it is absolutely undeniable that women have assumed significant roles of influence throughout American public life,\u201d said Faulkner President Mike Williams. \u201cOver the last 100 years we have seen women ascend to become cooperate leaders, shapers of public policy, inspirational nonprofit executives and thought leaders of every facet of American civic life.\u201dFaulkner lauded several alumna as part of the night\u2019s program for their inspiring stories and accomplishments including The Honorable Carole Medley, \u201995, Lauderdale County District Judge; Dr. Sky Jones, \u201906, doctor at St. Jude\u2019s Research Hospital; Joetta Kelly, \u201971, a teacher in the River Region for over 40 years, Senior Master Sgt. Jessica Parker, \u201919, member of the United States Air Force and Monica Pugh, \u201995, a mother of five children and a foster mother to three.“l-r, The Honorable Carole Medley, \u201995, Lauderdale County District Judge; Dr. Sky Jones, \u201906, doctor at St. Jude\u2019s Research Hospital; Joetta Kelly, \u201971, a teacher in the River Region for over 40 years, Senior Master Sgt. Jessica Parker, \u201919, member of the United States Air Force and Monica Pugh, \u201995, a mother of five children and a foster mother to three were all honored on stage during Faulkner’s Annual Benefit Dinner.”As each one was escorted on stage, the Faulkner University chorus and Faulkner student Ashby Kasarjian sang Hero, by Mariah Carey to honor their sacrifices, love and kindness and to showcase their strength of character.“Faulkner student Ashby Kasarjian sang Hero, by Mariah Carey during Faulkner’s Annual Benefit Dinner on Oct. 3.”\u201cAt our annual Benefit Dinner, we like to include elements of recognition,\u201d said Billy Camp, Associate Vice President for Advancement. \u201cWe like to honor individuals or groups of individuals, with one criteria; shine a light where their deeds typically live in shadows. We edify good works, works of love, caring, heroism and service.\u201dHaley provided a word of encouragement to all the young women in the audience who aspire to be leaders.\u201cPush through the fear,\u201d Haley said. \u201cThe truth is if you push through the fear and you just do it, you will find out that you are so strong on the other side.\u201d\u201cOnce you do, you really allow your talent to show,\u201d Haley added. \u201cYou allow your passion to come through and it\u2019s something that women need to encourage themselves to do. You don\u2019t have to wait until someone else tells you it\u2019s ok to do it. Just do it and prove to the world how great you are.\u201dNikki Haley speaks during Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner on Oct. 3\u201cFaulkner students are the leaders and the women leaders of the future,\u201d\u00a0Haley said. \u201cCongratulations on helping them prepare to be the caretakers of the values and beliefs that have shaped America.\u201dHaley has continually proven herself to be a fearless champion of human rights and education reform and a defender of American interests.She challenged human rights violators across the globe, standing up to oppressive regimes in Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and Russia. During the U.S presidency of the UN Security Council, she hosted the first-ever session devoted solely to promoting human rights. She traveled the world visiting people oppressed by their own governments to see firsthand the challenges they face and to work with them directly on life-improving solutions\u2014from Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey, to internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, to Venezuelan migrants walking miles every day to cross the Colombian border for food and medicine.With nearly 2,000 guests in attendance, proceeds from the dinner go toward funding student scholarships.\u201cOur annual Benefit Dinner is really the signature event of the university. It\u2019s an opportunity for us to showcase our outstanding academic programs and our distinctive Christian mission and the investment we are trying to make into this community,\u201d\u00a0Williams said.\u00a0\u201cThe most important outcome of the dinner is that we raise money for students to give them more scholarships in order to provide them with a transformative experience and to prepare the new emerging generation to make a tremendous difference in our world.\u201dNikki Haley speaks during Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner on Oct. 3"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Highlights","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/\/highlights\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Nikki Haley speaks to Sold Out crowd at Faulkner University’s Annual Benefit Dinner","item":"https:\/\/www.faulkner.edu\/news\/highlights\/nikki-haley-speaks-to-sold-out-crowd-at-faulkner-universitys-annual-benefit-dinner\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]