Over 100 women, ages 18 to 80, attended the twelfth annual “A New You" conference, held on the campus of BYU-Hawaii the week of 28 July through 5 August.
The conference, sponsored by BYU-Hawaii's Center for Instructional Technology and Outreach (CITO), featured nightly firesides with Dr. John Lund , daily devotionals with Barbara Barrington Jones, and classes taught by experts on such topics as graciousness, poise, coping with stress and worries, motivation to achieve, nutrition and fitness, and hair and make-up.
Although each woman received a complete make-over during the conference and learned about the outward fine points of grace and poise, many participants said they were most excited about the emotional and spiritual learning that took place.
“I would recommend it to anyone,” said Michelle Vandenberg , who attended the conference with her mother. “Dr. Lund is amazing. I’d like to come back every year.”
“I think every girl needs to feel beautiful,” said Amy Van Wagenen, a 20-year-old single woman, attending the conference along with her mother, Shelley, and her 17-year-old sister, Kara.
“Feeling that you truly matter allows you to serve others,” said Shelley Van Wagenen. Van Wagenen was one of 13 women selected by the director of the program, Barbara Barrington Jones, to serve as a counselor to one of the six participant groups to which the women attending the conference are assigned.
| Left to right: Amy, Shelley, and Kara Van Wagenen. |
Noreen Rawlings , a 72-year-old mother of five children, from Fielding, Utah, praised the conference saying, “The staff is incredible. I believe this is an inspired program. It helps women renew and it covers all the areas we need. I’m so impressed with Barbara. She makes herself accessible, and is so willing to share her testimony with others. I’ve come to love that woman.”
A testimony meeting and a fashion show were the culminating events of the conference. The fashion show was coordinated and produced by Shauna Okey, a motivational speaker, professional model, and registered nurse. Okey has been involved with the “A New You” conference for the past 10 years, and is a member of the BYU-Hawaii President’s Leadership Committee.
Other conference faculty members included: guests speakers Chieko Okazaki and John Lund; Darin Knowles, motivation to achieve; Shauna Ockey, poise and graciousness; Cindy Wakefield, and Kris Denison, refinement in appearance; Michael C. Roubicek, emotional health; and Cindy Wilson, nutrition and fitness. All of these highly qualified and respected presenters donated their time and talents to the conference program.
“Until you come and experience it, I’m not sure you get the full gist of how it really, really, helps change people’s lives,” said Bonnie Lund , wife of guest speaker, Dr. John Lund. “I think it’s wonderful. Most of all the conference gives women strength to go out and face their families and face the world.”
A portion of the words of a song written for the Relief Society Sesquicentennial Celebration and performed by Donnalynn Grunewald at the "A New You" program reflects the spirit of the conference:
“Hands, reaching out across the waves, across the land. Reaching out to heal, to bond, to understand. “And all around the world we are gathering as one. The sisterhood of Zion and our story’s just begun. Speaking many tongues and from a hundred different lands, the sisterhood of Zion, hand in hand.”
The week-long retreat is the creation of Barbara Barrington Jones , and is supported by the HBJ Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by her late husband, philanthropist, Harold R. Jones. Established in 1996, the HBJ Foundation seeks to value womanhood and offer a source of healing support to women seeking to reach their potential.
Jones has spent the last 30 years working to improve the lives of women. The author of five books for women and teenage girls, she travels worldwide speaking to Relief Society and Young Women's conferences. She has been a Church Educational System speaker for over 20 years with programs such as Especially for Youth and Education Week, and has given numerous campus devotionals at BYU-Hawaii, where she is a member of the President's Leadership Committee.
For more information on programs offered by CITO, please go to their website: http://services.byuh.edu/iddgroup/