the women’s symposium

The ULM Women’s Symposium annually highlights women from across Northeast Louisiana for their individual achievements, professional and personal. The panelists share their stories with ULM students and fellow community members to showcase the importance of success and failure in one’s journey. Here we highlight five of the 2020 panelists and why they were chosen as leaders in their respective fields.

ARTICLES BY LAURA W. CLARK AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

SHAYLA SHAW

While working as a call center manager, Shayla Shaw realized her passion: starting a mental health discussion with other mothers.

“For over 10 years, I mentored, trained, and encouraged hundreds of employees. I observed their personal and professional development as they gained skills and knowledge. This experience allowed me to network with other moms facing issues similar to mine. I learned I was not the only one who struggled, and it was so fulfilling to offer support and guidance.”
It was also while working at the call center that she realized she would not reach her full potential at her current job.

“No matter how hard I worked, the experience and knowledge that I had gained and the goals that I had exceeded—it would never be enough because I didn’t fit the mold. I realized I exhausted years trying to prove I could fit in, and I lost my identity,” she said. “I overcame this challenge by re-evaluating success and restoring my self-worth. This helped me identify my purpose and gain a different perspective on how I could use my strengths to do what I enjoyed most—helping other women, specifically moms.”

Shayla, a mother of four, is a health and wellness empowerment coach who helps women with issues such as postpartum anxiety and depression. A self-described introvert, Shayla previously viewed her shyness as a weakness. Not anymore. One of her mentors empowered her to reframe those qualities as positive attributes.

Another one of her mentors is her sister, a woman Shayla describes as fearless. “Her advice—which has shaped me to be strong and successful—was to stop letting anxiety control my life. She told me to stop viewing situations as mistakes and use them as lessons to move forward, push harder, or find another way. She said, ‘I wouldn’t have known I didn’t want to be a nurse if I hadn’t gone to nursing school.’”

Shayla has some advice of her own, but for her younger self, who at one point, was divorced, unemployed, homeless, and without hope. “I would tell her that her life does have a purpose, and asking for help is not a weakness. I would also tell her that her childhood scars from the trips and falls she encountered would make her beautiful; however, the wounds wouldn’t heal if she hid them in shame. I would tell her to spend more time laughing and enjoying quality time with her kids because they love her just as she is—imperfectly perfectly created to be their mom.”

MORGAN BUXTON

Imposter syndrome, or self-doubt, is not a new concept to Morgan Buxton, vice president at Chase Bank. Has she let it stop her? No, she forces it to fuel her.

“Recently sitting around a board room table, I could barely pay attention because my internal negative self-talk was so loud. I thought, ‘You should have earned a business degree, or you should know more about this issue,’ etc. As soon as I recognized the internal conversation, I had to call myself on it and replace it with a quick pep talk: ‘The people you admire around this table think that you have something to offer, or they wouldn’t have invited you to come. Get your head in the game!’ I am thankful for feeling like there is room to grow—it keeps me motivated,” Morgan said. “If you are the smartest person at the table, you need a new table.”

Managing self-doubt is only one of the challenges she has overcome. “During my career at Chase, I struggled to delegate effectively. I bought into the lie that I could accomplish the expected results better and faster alone. It worked for a while, but as my responsibilities grew, I couldn’t sustain the output and quality without support. I wasn’t mature enough to understand there are more important things than the outcomes, such as the people around me and helping them prepare for their next role while we succeed together as a team. Fortunately, I had a manager who was intuitive and pointed out my Achilles’ heel.”

Morgan, a West Monroe High School and University of Louisiana Monroe graduate, has surrounded herself with smart, strong, and successful women in every facet of her life. “They have cleared the path, marked the landmines, and, in many instances, carried me along the way,” she said. “I’m so thankful for my mom. She’s 4’11” and made of dynamite. The life she lives—not the spoken words—is the best advice I’ve ever received. I remember one morning when she ran out of the house, jumped in the car, and backed straight into our second car parked in the driveway. She popped back inside after wrecking both of our family vehicles and said, ‘I need two Tylenol, I’m running late for work!’”

Her advice for 22-year-old Morgan? It’s both simple and profound: “Lean into your strengths and genuinely celebrate the strengths that you see in others. Don’t leave your gifts unwrapped because you’re too worried about the color of the gift wrap on someone else’s present.”

KATHRYN REPPOND

Kathryn Reppond’s office experience began in elementary school when she accompanied her grandmother, a hospital administrator in Tallulah, to work.

“Stapling paperwork was my favorite,” she said with a smile. “Watching my grandmother work really sparked my interest.”

Kathryn, now the chief operations officer at Central Oil & Supply, observed another strong female influence: her mother. Kathryn’s mother was raising four children when she decided to attend college for the first time. She began when Kathryn was a freshman at Neville High School and eventually earned a Ph.D. from the University of Louisiana Monroe.

“I have really strong women in my life; they had a lot to do with my drive, and they impacted me with their actions. I remember my mother studying until 2 or 3 a.m. because she had been at the ballpark most of the day. She never missed any of our activities. I don’t ever remember her not being there,” Kathryn said.

The oldest of her siblings, Kathryn has four children of her own. She mirrors much of her mother’s approach to work and life balance. “I think the balance is only possible because my husband and I share responsibilities, which is what my parents did,” Kathryn said. “My goal is to be where my feet are. If I’m home, I’m at home, and if I’m at the ballpark, I’m at the ballpark. I know my kids are watching me, and I want them to see me paying attention. I don’t always succeed at that, but I course correct along the way. My husband and I hold each other accountable. If we are distracted, we will point that out to each other.”

Kathryn, who graduated from the University of Louisiana Monroe with an accounting degree, wants aspiring professionals to understand the power of learning from others. In addition to learning from her mother and grandmother, she learned a great deal at the age of 17 when she worked for a female bank CFO who trusted Kathryn to answer phones and pay bills.

“Surrounding yourself with the right people is crucial because they can greatly influence who you are as a person and as a professional. Listen and learn as much as you can from every person you encounter along the way. If you ever think you have it all figured out, you are wrong. There is always something to learn and grow from in everything you do and in every person you encounter.”

LIZ PIERRE

Liz Pierre found her voice after she had a revelation.

“I’ve had to overcome my tendency to be reserved and hesitant to give my opinion on matters. When I realized that the people I dealt with in my profession didn’t have any greater insight or innate knowledge of most subject matters than I did, and that there was value in my opinion, I realized that it was selfish of me to withhold my insight when it could add value to the discussion.”

Liz is an attorney and a senior vice president of the legal and research department at the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, and a member of the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. “My law degree has opened so many doors for me and has given me the ability to analyze situations in a unique way. My appointment to the UL System Board has allowed me to have an active role in formulating policy that is making a real-world difference in the lives of the young people who will be our future workforce and will most directly impact our future economy.”

She has served on the Area 81 Workforce Investment Board, the United Way of Northeast Louisiana, the NOVA Workforce Institute Board of Directors, and the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport Diocesan Finance Council. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She practices law with her husband at Pierre and Pierre, LLC in Monroe.

The female mentor who inspired her the most was her mother. “She motivated me to aspire beyond the circumstances of my life. She lost most of her hearing as a young child and had to drop out of school after the eighth grade. She became a wife and mother and never really had a job outside the home. When my sisters and I were in high school, she earned her GED and excelled so much in doing so that she was chosen to give the keynote address as the Top Graduate in St. Landry Parish’s GED program that year.”

Liz would advise her younger self to believe in her potential.

“I would tell her to be bold and not to underestimate her abilities. At that time, I was so unsure of myself and what my path would be. I would tell her not to let her doubts stop her from pursuing less-traveled paths and pushing herself to be the best she could be.”

JASMYNE MCCONNELL

Jasmyne McConnell’s career began as an attorney at Monroe’s Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office; she became a licensed realtor that same year. A few years later, she faced a big hurdle: almost being laid off from the DA’s office due to budget cuts.

The experience changed her. “Almost losing my job changed my line of thinking; a full entrepreneur mindset began. I told myself that I would never leave my livelihood up to someone else again.”

She then launched Cajun Title Agency, a real estate transaction company in Monroe. Cajun Title faced several challenges in its first year. Jasmyne struggled to find an underwriter who would allow her to carry title insurance. “In spite of being a licensed realtor and a real estate investor for several years, insurance companies told me I lacked the experience to be a title attorney. But, I only needed one ‘yes,’ and I kept pushing until I received it. I am a problem solver, so I focus on the solution and do whatever is necessary.”

Jasmyne graduated from the University of Louisiana Monroe, just as her mother did. Her mother, who died in a 2009 car accident when Jasmyne was a senior at ULM, significantly impacted Jasmyne’s life.

“My mother was a straightforward person. When I was a psychology major, I was bored. I had a discussion with my mother about this, and she very plainly stated that since I liked to argue, I should attend law school to be a lawyer. I changed my major that day to political science. After she passed, I attended law school to honor her.”

Jasmyne recently left the DA’s office, where she took pride in helping defendants and victims achieve justice. Today, she continues to help others accomplish their dreams. “As a closing attorney, I help families purchase their forever homes. Most families rent due to their financial situations. It’s a huge accomplishment for people to improve their credit or to pay down debt so they can afford a home,” she said. “I also help investors start their journey in the real estate market.”

In addition to Cajun Title Agency, Jasmyne, an award-winning attorney, owns several other businesses, one of them named after her mother, Grace-Lynn, LLC.

Jasmyne is proud to be the region’s only African American female attorney to own a title company, and she prides herself on “getting in the trenches.”

“I am actively involved and vested in the outcome of every closing—I fight to ensure everyone wins at the closing table.”