Rock Hill’s notable women discuss ‘women firsts’ on International Women’s Day

Rock Hill’s first female doctor, the first African-American woman Rock Hill City judge and Winthrop’s first African-American graduate student are coming together to share their experiences and discuss women’s issues.

Winthrop University’s Question Bridge: Women's Voices International Women's Day panel on “Women Firsts” will be held on March 8 as the first campus engagement event for members of the new Winthrop Women’s Coalition, according to a release.

Panelists will discuss work, life and identity issues from the perspective of being the “the first” to achieve a certain accomplishment or break through a barrier, according to the university.

Winthrop University’s First Lady Laura Mahony recently launched the Coalition to “bring together strong, accomplished, philanthropic women who want to get more engaged and involved with the university,” the release states.

The Coalition promotes philanthropy and provides members with opportunities for professional and personal growth.

“During my first six months with Winthrop, I kept meeting and hearing from women who are affiliated with Winthrop, have been impacted by an experience at Winthrop or who are committed to the Rock Hill community,” Mahony said. “Their comments began to reveal a common thread: they want to get more engaged with the university; they want to get involved and make a difference; they want to share their passion for Winthrop and they want to do more for their alma mater, but don’t know what to do.”

The Coalition’s leadership council includes Mahony and Winthrop alumni/ambassadors. “The goal is to combine women who want to get more involved with the university with women who have already demonstrated a commitment to Winthrop and philanthropy,” Mahony said.

The March 8 panel includes Vivian Moore Carroll, class of 1973, who worked for one of the first financial planners in the country and Jan McCoy, Rock Hill’s first female doctor, the release states. Dorothy Killian, the first African-American woman Rock Hill City Judge, Chisa Johnson Putman, class of 2003 and one of the first African-American women magistrates in York County and Cynthia Plair Roddey, class of 1967 and Winthrop’s first African-American graduate student will also be available to answer questions.

“This panel event is a perfect example of why the Winthrop Women’s Coalition was created. We want our group to gather with members of the community and Winthrop students for interaction and engagement. We want to learn from the experiences of other women and support key programming that allows students the opportunity for the same interaction,” Mahony said.

Amanda Harris: 803-329-4082

This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Rock Hill’s notable women discuss ‘women firsts’ on International Women’s Day."