ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF hosted the Women Veterans ENGAGE conference in Orlando on Saturday as part of a nationwide initiative to honor, empower and elevate military women.
The Women Veteran ENGAGE Conference, which took place in 20 cities nationwide simultaneously, was a powerful day of connection, inspiration and celebration.
SEA WAVES organized the wonderful event, and the location can be easily spotted on the map below.
SEA WAVES was founded by Navy Senior Chief (Ret.) Leah Stiles, who drew on her personal experience and a strong desire to tackle a widely overlooked issue in the military: eating disorders.
SEA WAVES—represents Support, Education, Awareness, Wellness, and Validation for Eating Disorders and Self-Care.
Featured Speakers Included:
- Latoya Greene – Retired U.S. Army leader, Army Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, and the force behind the viral Change.org campaign that led to the Army rewriting its outdated BMI standards. Her session, “Finding Your Voice,” explores how personal advocacy can drive systemic change.
- Janina Simmons – The first Black woman to graduate from U.S. Army Ranger School. Now battling stage 4 cancer, she’s about to make history again as the first woman Ranger-qualified Sergeant Major. Her keynote, “The Resilience Within,” is a raw and courageous story of grit, service, and hope.
- Leah Stiles – Retired Navy Senior Chief and local Winter Garden resident, I’m the founder of SEA WAVES, the only veteran-led nonprofit in the U.S. focused solely on eating disorders in the military. I’ll be sharing “Need a Light? Be a Light,” a talk on leadership, lived experience, and breaking the silence around invisible battles.SEA WAVES organized the wonderful event, and the location can be easily spotted
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