Isabella Durham

Director

My name is Isabella Durham, and I am a junior at Mississippi State University. I am majoring in Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture with a concentration in Wildlife Veterinary Medicine, and I am pursuing a minor in English. Being from Prattville, AL, I more than welcomed coming to a small town with an amazing school. Since the beginning, I have been actively involved on campus; this includes working with Habitat for Humanity, being a Roadrunner and ambassador for my department, counseling for conservation camps, taking leadership roles in multiple clubs, and now directing this camp. This is my second year in the planning/ directing process, so I am so very excited about starting up again. I hope you strongly consider applying for this program, and I can't wait to have you join us here at Mississippi State!!

Mary Lee

Co-Director

My name is Mary Lee and I am a sophomore in Biomedical Engineering. I became apart of the WE Lead team because I am an advocate of women leadership. I have counseled all girl computer programming camps since 2014. I have also directed my own camp. My experience through these previous camps have inspired me to co-found a club for women in STEM majors my first year at MSU. I am dedicated to helping other women learn their potential has no limit and to help them become the best they can be. I hope through my position at WE Lead I can inspire women to be confident in all they do and become strong leaders. I look forward to meeting you all!

Melanie Walsh

Graduate Assistant

I am a doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision -- I hope to be a counseling professor in a few years! My research interests include LGBTQ+ issues, mental health and experiences of adversity, developmental models, and socialization in the school system. I also enjoy activism aimed at women's issues and social justice issues more broadly. In my *abundance of spare time* I enjoy being outdoors. I am an avid hiker, I enjoy water sports including swimming, kayaking, and white water rafting. I hope to have a thriving garden in my future. I also play roller derby!! My derby persona, MS Hippie Queen, is a fierce hunk of woman at 5 foot 11 inches. I consider myself a well rounded, fun-loving spirit!

Marisa Laudadio

Counselor

Hello, my name is Marisa Laudadio, and I am a sophomore political science and communication double major concentrating in public relations and minoring in Spanish. I decided to become a counselor because I love women empowerment and leadership, civic engagement, and working with high school students. I participated in programs very similar to WE Lead when I was in high school, and they literally changed my life. It is because of programs like WE Lead that I ended up deciding to go to college and majoring in political science. I hope that by serving as a counselor I can change someone else's life like mine was changed. I want to show girls that the sky is the limit if you are passionate and driven, and no one can tell you you can't do something or aren't good enough. I want to show the delegates that anything is possible, and they have what it takes to change the world. To me, leadership means service. While obviously giving orders, delegating tasks, and "taking charge" are all important components of leadership, it is also putting the needs of others before your own and working your hardest to set a good example and help others. I hope to demonstrate this type of leadership to the WE Lead delegates during camp!

Joy Carino

Counselor

My name is Joy Carino, and I'm from Starkville, Mississippi. I'm a junior at Mississippi State University majoring in English with minors in mathematics and statistics. After college, I would like to either become an English teacher or researcher in linguistics. I'm passionate about education and the arts, everything from music to poetry and literature, and I'm always excited to share a love for the arts with aspiring teachers, artists, scholars, and leaders!
To me, leadership is more than simply being in charge or outspoken. Leadership requires excitement and patient dedication in the face of opposition or complacency. I also believe that, like most pursuits, leadership takes practice, making mistakes, and learning from them. I hope that, during this program, you will gain confidence in your own gifts and encouragement to continue learning and leading.

Georgiana Katherine Swan

Counselor

I am Georgiana Katherine Swan and I'm a Freshman. I am double majoring in Political Science and Psychology. I am a Starkville native! I am a Senator for Griffis on CORE (Council of Residential Experience), an active member of College Democrats, Stennis Montgomery Association and Speech and Debate. Some of my accomplishments include making Presidents/Dean's list my first semester at MSU, being chosen as an Example of Excellence at Starkville High School, getting first place in Congress at the Stennis Novice Tournament, and being on State Team for cross country. My biggest accomplishment is being a Provost Scholar at Mississippi State University. I cannot wait to be one of your counselors on WELead! After college, I plan on attending law school and working as a defense attorney. Then, I would like to work as a diplomat.

Meg Walker

Counselor