This past weekend, I had the honor of attending Women Veterans Engage at the Kansas host location, held at Ft. Leavenworth VFW Post #56. I left reminded of something powerful: women veterans desire and need spaces where we can be seen, heard, supported, and connected.
For those who may not be familiar with it, Women Veterans Engage is a national conference created to connect, educate, inspire, and empower women veterans, active-duty service members, Guard and Reserve members, military spouses, caregivers, supporters, and community allies.
It is part of Women Veterans Alliance, an organization founded in 2015 by Navy veteran Melissa A. Washington to bring women veterans together to equip, empower, and encourage one another.
The first annual Women Veterans Engage Conference began in 2022 as a live-broadcast event across the United States. Since then, it has continued to grow into a nationwide movement with in-person host locations and virtual access, making it possible for women veterans from different communities to gather locally while still being connected nationally.
Here in Kansas, the host location was Ft. Leavenworth VFW Post #56. For the first Women Veterans Engage host location in Kansas, it was very well attended, which speaks volumes about the need for women veterans to have spaces like this in our state.
I attended the Friday evening gathering with a fellow woman veteran and comrade I personally know. The evening included a crafting event, and I really enjoyed creating alongside the other women veterans. It gave us a relaxed and meaningful way to begin connecting before the main conference day. Sometimes, sitting together, making something with our hands, talking, laughing, and sharing space can open the door to connection in a way that feels natural and welcoming.
On Saturday, the conference continued with a full day of connection, personal and professional growth, speakers, meaningful conversations, wellness resources, networking, and community. The day was not just about attending an event. It was about being in a room with women who have served, sacrificed, led, transitioned, rebuilt, and continued to serve in their families, workplaces, businesses, and communities.
One of the powerful parts of the conference was the keynote presentation by Shelly C. Rood, a U.S. Army veteran, founder of Mission Ambition, LLC, creator of the Others Over Self® leadership mindset, and architect of Be At Ease, Woman Veteran™. Her keynote, “Wilderness and Wildflowers: Naming the Language of Women Veterans,” was especially meaningful because it spoke directly to the unique experiences many women veterans carry after military service.
As part of the keynote experience, I took the Wildflower Personality Assessment for Women Veterans™. It was clear this assessment was created with women veterans in mind. It was not generic. It was tailored to our lived experiences, our transitions, our strengths, and the way many of us continue to move through life after serving. When I received my results, I was truly surprised by how accurate and personal they felt. It spoke to exactly what the assessment said it was designed to do - help name and better understand what many women veterans have been carrying, navigating, and becoming.
That moment stood out to me because sometimes we attend events expecting encouragement, but we leave with language for parts of ourselves we had not fully put into words yet. That is one of the reasons Women Veterans Engage was so meaningful. It created space not only for connection with others, but also for reflection, recognition, and understanding ourselves more deeply.
Saturday evening also included a special concert by the Ronni Ward Band, hosted at VFW Post #56 in honor of women veterans. It was a meaningful way to close out the day with fellowship, music, conversation, and a shared sense of appreciation.
One of the most meaningful parts of the weekend for me was meeting amazing women veterans from across Kansas and the surrounding area. I had the opportunity to connect with women from Dodge City, Kansas City, Missouri, Basehor, Lansing, and we represented Wichita, Kansas.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see a woman veteran from the Derby post. She brought a new woman veteran with her, and to me, that is exactly what branching out looks like. It is one woman veteran inviting another. It is one connection leading to another connection. It is how community grows beyond one post, one town, one organization, or one familiar circle.
The room was so full that I did not get the chance to meet every woman veteran who attended from communities across Kansas, but that in itself says something important. This event was well attended, especially for the first one in Kansas, and to me, that is proof that gatherings like this are something we desire and need.
As women veterans, many of us have carried responsibilities, experiences, and transitions that are not always visible to the general public. Events like Women Veterans Engage help create a space where we do not have to explain every part of our service journey to be understood. We can walk into the room and immediately know there is shared respect, shared experience, and shared strength.
I left encouraged by the conversations, the energy in the room, and the reminder that women veterans are not alone. We are leaders, business owners, caregivers, advocates, professionals, volunteers, mentors, and community builders. We are still serving, just in different ways.
I am grateful for the opportunity to attend Women Veterans Engage Kansas, and I look forward to next year’s event. My hope is that even more women veterans across Kansas and the surrounding communities will hear about it, attend, and experience the connection and encouragement for themselves.
Women veterans deserve spaces like this. We deserve to be connected. We deserve to be recognized. We deserve to continue building community together.