Six women were honored for their contributions in advocating for equity, diversity and inclusion during the 35th President’s Annual Outstanding Women of New Hampshire Awards on March 28.
Dottie Morris, associate vice president of Institutional Equity and Diversity, delivered opening remarks at the gala.
“In a time where diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are being challenged, attacked and disregarded, it is our pleasure to be here tonight to honor these women for the work that they do in that area,” Morris said.
The honorees were American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Hampshire Executive Director Devon Chaffee, Co-Chair of KSC’s Truth and Reconciliation and Equity Collaborative Debbie Bowie, Owner of Yahso Jamaican Grille Gail Somers, Keene Middle School teacher and ‘07 alumni Ritu Budakoti, Director of the Mason Library Celia Rabinowitz and President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and senior Molly Edmark.
Chaffee won the State of New Hampshire Award, Bowie, Somers and Budakoti won the Region Awards, Rabinowitz won the Staff/Faculty Award and Edmark won the Student Award.
“This is one of the most beautiful moments that we celebrate every year,” KSC President Melinda Treadwell said at the ceremony, introducing the honorees.
The first awardee to speak was Edmark, who was nominated by KSC Softball Coach Carrah Fisk Hennessey.
“[Edmark] has taken on the challenge of mental health advocacy for our student-athlete population,” Fisk Hennessey said.
Fisk Hennessey noted Edmark’s lead role in the student-athlete mental health week and highlighting resources on campus.
“She has stated numerous times that she wants this work to endure even after she leaves Keene State College and with the incredible amount of organization and information she has gathered and continues to share, it surely will,” she remarked.
In an interview with The Equinox, Edmark said she was caught off guard when she first found out she was nominated for the honor.
“I am a student teacher at Keene Middle School, so I was just doing the student side of everything, checking my school emails and that’s when I found the email from Misty Kennedy saying that I had been nominated and at first I was like ‘Oh man I hope they have the right email, I hope they have the right person’,” Edmark explained.
Edmark said her work in SAAC came about through her experience as a student-athlete, being on KSC’s Women’s Field Hockey team, and being unable to play after an injury in her sophomore year.
“Trying to just find new ways to be impactful on my team and make sure that they know even though I’m not physically playing with them on the field, I’m here with them and I’m still supporting them and I’m going to be their biggest cheerleader,” Edmark said.
Additionally, Edmark said the issue of mental health is personal to her, having lost a family member to suicide.
“I really try to push to everyone on campus that you don’t need to go through [a] mental health crisis and you don’t need to lose anyone to be an advocate,” she said.
Edmark’s advice to other young women who want to pursue DEI-aligned fields is to focus on your voice and platform as an advocate.
“It’s so powerful and people, whether they voice it or not, will be able to relate and understand what you’re working on,” Edmark said.
The honoree for the Faculty/Staff award, Rabinowitz, was next introduced by Cohen Center Advisor Jan Cohen.
Cohen noted in her introductory remarks Rabinowitz previously stepped into the role of Cohen Center Co-Director twice during a time of flux.
“A truly massive responsibility to take on in addition to her existing workload,” Cohen said.
In an interview with The Equinox, Rabinowitz said this year’s theme of equity, diversity and inclusion made an important statement to the community.
“One of the things that’s really sad about putting restrictions on DEI work is that I think it takes an extremely narrow definition of what that is,” Rabinowitz said.
Rabinowitz said her work opening up free borrowing at the Mason Library to all New Hampshire residents back in July of 2023 was an equity initiative.
“Making materials accessible to students at low or no cost, to me, is an equity and inclusion effort,” she said.
Rabinowitz said it’s important for community members to remain engaged in community and advocacy locally.
In terms of the award itself, Rabinowitz said it serves as encouragement to continue her work.
“It is more than anything, [it] just gives me more energy to keep doing the things that I’ve been doing,” she explained.
Bowie, one of three region awardees, was introduced by KSC Journalism Professor Emeritus Rose Kundanis.
“[Bowie] is an engine that makes things happen, removes obstacles and is fearless as she advocates for issues of equity and inclusivity,” Kundanis said.
Bowie told the audience to use their voices.
“You may realize that your voice has more power and more strength than you know, the result will be more positive change for everyone,” she remarked.
Next, Budakoti was introduced by Mayor of Keene Jay Kahn.
“When I heard of this year’s opportunity to nominate, I jumped at the opportunity to nominate [Budakoti],” Kahn said. “She perfectly embodies this year’s theme of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
In her acceptance, Budakoti drew back to the women who inspired her.
“I’m reminded of the countless women who have paved the way before me, breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings, their resilience, determination and unwavering commitment to excellence have inspired generations and it’s their legacy that propels me forward today,” she said.
Budakoti said the award serves as a call to action for her, not just a recognition of past accomplishments.
“It is my sincere hope that we continue to champion each other, to lift as we climb and to strive for a future where our collective community can thrive,” she said.
Eric Swope, a former City of Keene employee, nominated Somers for her work to address food insecurity and creating a new multicultural center.
“Somers’ work towards and passion for an inclusive and welcoming Keene make her an impressive candidate for this honor and I am overjoyed to be here to come welcome her to this,” Swope said.
Somers said it’s important to have a physical space made by and for those of marginalized communities to participate in.
“[The new multicultural center] is a space dedicated to making our community more welcoming for all, it’s a place to celebrate our diverse cultures, be a resource for our community members, including students like our Keene State students, with a special emphasis on newcomers and immigrants like myself,” she explained.
Lastly, Chaffee, the state awardee, was introduced by Interim Director of Legal Residencies at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law Kara Simard.
“Under [Chaffee’s] guidance, the ACLU of New Hampshire has flourished, amplifying its impact through landmark legal actions and community-driven initiatives, she is truly a worthy recipient of this award,” Simard said.
Chaffee delivered remarks on the difficulty the ACLU has grappled with in 2024 regarding civil liberties.
“This current legislative session in the New Hampshire State House has been the most discouraging that I have experienced in my over-11 years in my current position,” Chaffee said.
Chaffee told the audience to stay informed and engaged as the organization continues to fight back against several bills in the state targeting marginalized communities.
“I want to thank you all tonight for providing me with some much-needed hope and encouragement at a difficult time, because tomorrow I will go back to work reminded that I am doing so alongside so many exceptional and dedicated leaders across the granite state and alongside all of you,” Chaffee said.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
nhope@kscequinox.com
