As players, we never picked up on anything like that.. Her love was basketball. Perhaps nowhere was that concern more heightened than at Texas, which had won national football championships in 1963, 1969 and 1970 under coach Darrell Royal, who since 1962 had doubled as the schools athletic director. Title IX was not written with sports in mind and makes no mention of them. Prior to that he worked at The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Light. My interest and my passion was to provide opportunities for young women, so that they would have the same kind of experience I had, she says. AUSTIN, Texas -- When the University of Texas hired Jody Conradt to coach its women's basketball team for $17,000 in 1976, one of the state's largest newspapers announced the move with the headline: "Woman Hired at Man's Salary.". Brad Townsend, Sports enterprise reporter, Mavericks and NBA.. Dallas Morning News sports reporter since 1993. Many of our female business, civic, educational and social leaders of today had some sort of formalized athletics experience. With a full-out style that was unprecedented and unmatched during its time, Conradt led the 1985-86 Longhorns to a 34-0 record and national championship, the NCAAs first perfect season in the sport. Speak with her former student-athletes, and they agree on Conradt's life lessons: integrity and team goals above all, practice self-discipline and be organized, embrace diversity and tolerance, commit to honest and effective communication, maintain presence and exhibit class. They often stayed with families, dining with people they didnt know. Or that in her 31 seasons at Texas, her teams aggregate graduation rate would be 99%. In 1975, Texas, in response to Title IX, hired as the first director of its recently created womens athletic department a brusque, audacious 29-year-old visionary, Donna Lopiano. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . There is no more fitting person, and place, to assess the impact of Title IX of 1972s Education Amendments, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives federal funding. Basketball players hand-me-down uniforms from the volleyball team. Texas actually was behind somewhat compared to some smaller in-state schools (Wayland Baptist College, for example) and even at UT System component where I was employed (UT Arlington). That was Pat - always thinking about our game. 10 Irish lose top scorer Miles to knee injury. Once we settled in at our respective institutions in our respective shades of orange, I think we both realized the opportunity before us. Lopianos departure represented a crossroad for Texas womens athletics and for Conradt personally. It will be on permanent display in the Frank Erwin Center by the Longhorns' exhibition game against Incarnate Word on Oct. 30. AUSTIN - Jody Conradt, the Hall of Fame women's basketball coach who won 900 games in her 38-year career, will be honored by Texas with a statue in her likeness at the Erwin Center. Her aspirations were to teach. More important, 99 percent of her players graduated. Pat's first salary at Tennessee was approximately $250 a month and included laundry duty for her team. Its more welcoming, considerably more diverse.. Progress, though, has been relative. It would take six years. (Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of feature profiles on this year's Hall of Fame and Wall of Honor selections that will be posted every Thursday, leading up to the Nov. 22 Hall of Fame banquet.). Under Rice, Conradt learned the value of fundamentals. It was also said that Swoopes asked Texas coach Jody Conradt for a transfer because she had been inappropriately approached sexually by a female She was a woman who cared deeply about family and the young women she mentored and coached. The University of Texas declared an Intercollegiate Athletics Department for Women in 1973 and formalized varsity sports for the 1974-75 academic year. After two seasons shed stopped coaching volleyball, with basketball well en route to powerhouse status, although Conradt says she never envisioned the scope of what was to come: womens basketball often outdrawing the men in the Erwin Center, with Barbara Jordan and Ann Richards as courtside regulars. Conradt's classroom eventually became a multipurpose arena at her beloved University of Texas, after serving as women's basketball coach at Sam Houston State (1969-73) and coach/women's athletics director at UT-Arlington (1973-76). Conradt was told she had to go to the physical education department and speak to the woman who coached the womens team. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, Jody Conradt, University of Texas embody the shaping, struggles and success of Title IX, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach. Her 1985-86 team (34-0) was the sport's first undefeated national champion, and she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. It was designed by New Jersey-based artist Brian Hanlon, the official sculptor for the Naismith Hall of Fame. We aspired to turn our women's basketball programs into powerhouses. So far back that we have been called pioneers," Summitt said. Classroom doors were closed to women, women of color and men of color at that time, particularly in areas of science, engineering, law, medicine and math. She also served as interim director of the newly established department in 1974-75. They saw her photo on the wall of heralded players. She was born on May 13, 1941 and her birthplace is Goldthwaite Texas. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. It had to be basketball because that was the womens sport in Texas, and we had to recruit Texas, she says. WebJody Conradt began her illustrious basketball career as an outstanding player at Goldthwaite High School where she averaged 40 points per game. On the morning she was to depart for Washington, D.C., Lopiano got a phone call from second-year UT President Lorene Rogers, the first and still only female president in the schools history. Jody Conradt, after her 900th coaching victory, has seen the impact of Title IX grow and continue. She saw a chance to wake up a "sleeping giant" in the early days of Title IX, the 1972 federal law that bans sex discrimination in educational programs -- including sports. The program offered no scholarships. Page was 24 years old when he became the first African-American head coach at the University of Texas. Through the College of Education, this project reflects issues that affect women locally, nationally and globally, and its focus is to improve the lives of women and adolescent girls in underserved communities. Tough, demanding and relentless. A drive. And if our two good teams played one another, more people would pay attention. At Texas, and thanks to Title IX, resources wouldnt be nearly so bare, though the struggle for respect and visibility would be ongoing. Texas A&M women win SEC tournament opener vs. Vanderbilt, Houston Cougars basketball preview: Home finale vs. Wichita State, Yainer Diaz becomes first Astros hitter to violate new MLB rules. 1,345), where her childhood revolved around community, family, friends and sports. and M.S. Her time at UT also included coaching the sport's first undefeated national champion. I had no idea the womens basketball team would blossom into what it has become today.. The statue will be unveiled at an invitation-only ceremony Friday. Doors will open at 8:00 AM. Fortunately, she is native to a state which takes pride in its passion, independence and can-do attitude. Registration for this event is now open in the THSCA Member Portal . The laws contentious path to acceptance and understanding nationally largely mirrors what happened at Texas, but UT today stands as a shining example of Title IX. The university was a different place back then and Im a better man than I was 44 years ago, he said. Conradt received her B.S. Page lived in a one-bedroom off-campus apartment and walked to work. Clearly, for us, it wasn't about the money. Forty years after Title IX became law, Granburys Leta Andrews continues to fight for equity in girls sports, Texas talent: Meet some of the most influential and pioneering female athletes in history, As Title IX turns 50, University of Texas exes reflected on common bond of championships, How pro path for female athletes has changed since Title IX, and where it needs to improve, 50 years of Title IX: Meet the next generation of star female athletes from D-FW, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy addresses philosophical differences between him, Kellen Moore, Ray Davis optimistic, anxious about Rangers season amidst tumultuous TV situation, Cowboys Mike McCarthy has more power, fewer excuses. The attorney called back: Would you come to D.C. to testify about the Tower Amendment?, Lopiano: Why, yes, my mother and father will be very proud.. Being a teacher or, if I went to Brownwood, I might see a nurse.. Coach Page focused on developing player relationships, said Swindell, a state champion in the triple jump from Houston before she played at Texas. Jody Conradt Excellence Fund He said Black was a good friend who provided the women with basic athletic supplies. Watch: Astros SP Luis Garcia debuts new windup after rule changes, Oops! Forty years have passed since Page coached at Texas. He is part of the fabric of a team that recently earned the 1,000th victory in school history, a feat achieved by just four other teams. Former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt is expected to attend the dedication, which will include a video message from former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and recognition of the 40th anniversary Title IX, the federal law that bans sex discrimination in educational programs -- including sports. Even then, after briefly teaching junior high in Houston and returning to Waco to be an assistant coach at Midway High and earn her masters at Baylor, opportunities were scarce. After retiring she went on to a career in nulrsing and worked for a veterans hospital both in the surgery unit and later management. All of that has happened, I think, as a result of Title IX.. You can see it. Her friends and players also knew a loving, gentle - yes, gentle - kind and compassionate soul who loved to laugh and entertain friends at her house. As I think back on the early days of women's basketball, I think about how much of it is defined by not only Pat's success but her presence. Jackson was a standout for Jody Conradt's final Texas teams, one of only three Longhorns to ever achieve three-time All-American status. That is Title IX impact, alive, well and continuing. She loved maneuvering. Tickets are $89 in advance and $99 at the door. They, too, will have the same opportunities as their mom, in their own time. Solomon: DeMeco Ryans the right coach at the right time, 3 pressing questions facing new Astros GM Dana Brown, Jabari Smith Jr. growing up in NBA with an assist from his father, Poor parent behavior is driving high school sports refs away. We were at our states' preeminent public institutions. This year, Texas won a school-record-tying four national championships and attained a school-record six national runner-up finishes. And she was most definitely all of those things. Especially at Texas, Conradt showcased her student-athletes, their speed and athleticism in a fast-breaking, run-and-shoot attack that lifted herteams to enormous popularity. Sports was not even contemplated when legislators crafted Title IX language. She also received a masters degree. He considers it an honor to be the universitys first black head coach, but the journey was not always easy. Jody Conradts childhood revolved around community, family, friends and sports in the small West Texas town of Goldthwaite. Chris and his wonderful spouse, Dr. Robin Ward, faculty member at Rice University, daily share the impact higher education has on young women. Title IX and the universities that embraced it changed the lives of young women across the country, Conradt said. Rice. He retired from the Round Rock school district in 2004. The Conradt statue weighs 600 pounds and depicts her flashing the well-known "Hook'em Horns" hand signal. WebJody Conradt Conradts coaching passion and competitive instincts produced results. Well, not everyone was excited. The Hall of Fame has more than 400 inductees and 40,000 sq. "Even though Jody was a fierce competitor on the court, she was a true friend to me off the court as well. In 1992, after announcing her departure to become CEO of the Womens Sports Foundation, Lopiano covertly plotted a lawsuit by seven womens athletes that accused Texas of Title IX violations, a transformative moment that rocked UT and Lopianos AD successor, Conradt. As individuals, we gauge our success by the depth of ongoing, sustained relationships with the student-athletes. Always improving. She had traveled the world for a decade as a star softball player, earned a Ph.D. at USC and had been a multi-sport coach and assistant AD at Brooklyn College. Jody Conradt came to the University of Texas just a couple of years after [Title IX], said former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a taped statement. 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Bun B on bringing Southern rap stars to Houston's Rodeo, Turner: State takeover of Houston ISD could happen next week, 'Call me a Nazi': Former Houston pastor calls for state book ban, How the Houston Zoo moved its flock of flamingos to a new home, Astros show struggles with new MLB pitch clock rules, The only Houston rodeo food guide you'll need, Houston leaders delay vote on Hobby Airport concesssions contract, Former KHOU anchor turns layoff into lucrative real estate career, Watch: Houston Astros' Luis Garcia debuts new windup, Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious on-air interview with reporter. She is currently a special assistant in the UT athletic department. Ford had met in the White House with a concerned Royal, Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler and Arkansas coach Frank Broyles. It's about the University of Texas doing the right thing and showing to the world how much they value the role of women's athletics," Conradt said. Idyllic though her upbringing had been in Goldthwaite, where her father, Charles, played semi-pro baseball and mother, Ann, played softball, Addie Jo was certain her life in organized sports ended with her 40-points-per-game high school career in six-player half-court basketball. That's the percentage of her players who graduated," Powers said. College athletics and college educations change their lives for the positive, allowing them to achieve careers and abilities to raise their families long after playing days end. ft. of basketball history. By 1986, both teams had become dominant forces in their respective leagues. Grizzlies 113, Rockets 99: 2nd-half flurry extends Houston's skid, Texas A&M's SEC title hopes quashed by Alabama's win over Auburn. That's one of the reasons it will be so difficult to fathom a basketball season without Pat Summitt. WebJody Conradts childhood revolved around community, family, friends and sports in the small West Texas town of Goldthwaite. With a full-out style that was unprecedented and unmatched during its time, Conradt led the 1985-86 Longhorns to a 34-0 record and national championship, the NCAA's first perfect season in the sport. All rights reserved. At Texas, it was the great adventure, says Lopiano, 75. Coaching? We think about it being opportunity in sport, but it is opportunity in a lot of different areas. The following season, we would travel to Knoxville to play in front of 24,563 fans, setting a Guinness World Record for women's basketball attendance. This is a carousel. UTA somehow won. 2023 www.statesman.com. Conradt among National Sportsmanship Day 20th Anniversary honorees [Feb. 25, 2011] As we approach the 50th anniversary date June 23, 2022 of the passage of Title IX federal legislation, Im among many who joyfully witness that laws impact today. During a Texas Exes meet and greet at Barton Creek Country Club, Lopiano was approached by UT Regent Ed Clark, who bluntly wondered how long it would take for a Longhorn womens team to win a national title. Lopiano said, sure, then went to find Royal as he headed out to football practice. Solomon: DeMeco Ryans the right coach at the right time, 3 pressing questions facing new Astros GM Dana Brown, Jabari Smith Jr. growing up in NBA with an assist from his father, Poor parent behavior is driving high school sports refs away. I was part of the grounds crew, a grass-roots effort that I hope no one ever minimizes, he said. Her love was basketball. From 1992-2001, Conradt served UT in a dual role as basketball coach and womens athletics director, and she currently serves as a special assistant to womens athletics. Jody Conradt arrived at the University of Texas in 1976 and quickly established the Longhorns as an unstoppable force on the national scene. UTA had driven to Arkansas in a pair of station wagons. The NCAA and mens college sports administrators were concerned that if Title IX forced schools to fund womens sports, it would dilute resources for and income from revenue-producing mens sports, primarily football and basketball. Pages first team at Texas finished its club-based schedule with a 7-11 record. The 600-pound statue depicts Conradt with an outstretched right arm flashing the "Hook'em" sign and was placed inside the school's basketball arena. Since her retirement from coaching following the 2006-07 season, shehascontinuedto serve the University as a special assistantinTexas Athletics. Conradt honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by NACWAA [June 4, 2010] When reality set in that the answer probably was yes, it triggered panic, chaos and years of legal challenges primarily from the NCAA, which had no authority over college womens sports, such as they were at the time. It did not establish a womens athletic department until 1973 or formalize womens varsity sports until the 1973-74 school year. Coach Conradt said, "That became the defensive philosophy I've always tried to follow." Not even a consideration. 8 ejected after UK-Florida scuffle at SEC tourney, Auriemma critical of 'selfish' Huskies after finale, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, S. Carolina stays No. This was years before I became the coach at Texas and around the time she'd taken the helm at Tennessee. Royal told Lopiano to get a copy of the budget from his assistant. On Dec. 9, 1982, the first game of the Texas versus Tennessee series was born. Conradt to receive Giant Steps Award from National Consortium for Academics and Sports [Jan. 28, 2008] Conradts coaching passion and competitive instincts produced results. Page: Im not a woe-is-me-type person. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame Museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." UT expects Pat Summitt to be among those on hand for the unveiling of the 7-foot bronze statue. The AIAW attorney asked Lopiano if she could obtain a copy of Texas mens athletic budget. The coach talked Conradt into changing her major to P.E. Like most women, shed spent her life prying open, inch-by-inch, one of the few doors of opportunity afforded her. (512) 475-7085 At 67, Page reflects on a period that challenged him in so many ways. All the coaches she had or knew of were men, including her seventh grade coach and next-door neighbor Ray Akins, who would go on to become one of the states most legendary football coaches. In the 1980s, Longhorn womens teams piled up 15 national championships, including Conradts 34-0 1985-86 squad. Women can be whatever they want to be at this point in time and not feel like they are in a minority - and not feel like they are a visitor in the area of their pursuit. Numerous other colleges monitored what happened in Austin and followed Texas lead. On Buzzlearn.com, Jody is listed as a Her love was basketball. We knew we were women entering a male-dominated arena. Who is the player of the year in every women's college basketball conference? Gracious and dynamic as ever at age 81, Conradt on this day has come to UTs gleaming Frank Denius Family Athletics Hall of Fame to discuss the 50th anniversary of the civil rights law that changed her life and those of millions of other American women. Lopianos other first-month lesson spoke to the almighty power of football at Texas. Conradt, valedictorian of Goldthwaites 22-student Class of 59, recalls the boys and girls basketball teams riding a bus together to play packed-gym doubleheaders in towns like Mason, Burnet and Llano. UT-Arlington teams competed regionally under AIAW governance, which meant frequent matchups against Gunters powerful Stephen F. Austin basketball squads. That's one of the reasons it's so difficult to come to grips with how little we know about Alzheimer's, which took her away too soon Tuesday at age 64. Our conversations about the women's game started years before our teams faced one another. My initial salary at Texas made headlines in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. These young ladies stared and smiled in wonder, knowing now how committed their mom was to an education and to basketball, working to be the best she could be. There were no scholarships in which to induce and reward them, unlike for their male counterparts. Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives Among the 20 team sports in which it competes (11 womens sports) Texas finished among the top 10 in 14 of them while winning the Learfield Directors Cup for all-around excellence for the second straight year, breaking Stanfords 25-year hold on the award. Heres what you need to know. He wanted everyone to know each other. Jody Conradt: It certainly was my decision, and I think [womens athletics FILE - Texas forward Tiffany Jackson (33) points during Big 12 women's basketball tournament practice Monday, March 5, 2007 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Jackson, a former standout at the University of Texas who was the Del Conte is on record as calling Title IX the greatest thing thats ever happened to college athletics, primarily because of the opportunities its created for women, but also due to the 85-scholarship cap that was placed on football, creating more parity in that sport. During her illustrious career, Conradt has coached countless players who have been Olympians, earned All-America honors, and National Player of the Year acclaim. Those traits, along with her graceful, compassionate style, Texas-sharp wit and humor, and desire to bring education and sport opportunities to young women, advanced Conradt into a visionary leader for women's college basketball and women's sports administration. As fate would have it the following spring, Pat would stand on a ladder to cut down the nets in the Frank Erwin Center in Austin as her team became the NCAA champs, the first of eight titles in her 38-year career. "Her career is a reminder that when you make sure your players are students first, everything else falls into place.". At 22, Pat had a focus, an intensity that most people couldn't comprehend. WebConradt's classroom eventually became a multipurpose arena at her beloved University of Texas, after serving as women's basketball coach at Sam Houston State (1969-73) and coach/women's athletics director at UT-Arlington (1973-76). Two days after his removal, Conradt was hired by Lopiano. "We changed the world.". She was drafted, played in the WNBA and oversees in seven countries. From 1990 to 2000, we (Texas) lost every single game in the series. Page said the most influential figure during his time at Texas was the late Betty Thompson, a pioneer in womens athletics. Indeed, it was aimed at eliminating discriminatory practices at federally funded programs, particularly in universities. Scholarships for women athletes were virtually nonexistent. Column: Isnt it time we heard from Georgia coach Kirby Smart? In 38 years as a collegiate head coach, Conradts players won 900 games. The University of Texas is a better institution of higher learning. After Lopiano faxed specifics of the $2.4 million mens budget, the attorney asked for a copy of the UT womens sports budget, which Lopiano recalls was $128,000, including a total scholarship allocation of $10,000. Her aspirations were to teach. WebFind out where Jody Conradt was born, their birthday and details about their professions, education, religion, family and other life details and facts. Always thinking. With only enough cash for gas and a meal for the trip home, Conradt had her team check out of its hotel. "She was preparing us for the future, to be the doctors, lawyers, teachers and mothers of the next generation," Benton-McCrary said. During his final two seasons, as a member of the AIAW, the Longhorns were 17-10 and 21-7, respectively, good progress for such a new team. She received a phone call from an attorney representing the AIAW, which was fighting the first major resistance to Title IX: The Tower Amendment, introduced in the U.S. Senate in 1974 by Texas Sen. John Tower, seeking to exempt revenue-producing sports from Title IX. Conradt had a 900-307 career record as a coach. When the University of Texas hired Jody Conradt to coach its women's basketball team for $17,000 in 1976, one of the state's largest newspapers announced Afterward, we enjoyed some food and drinks with old coaching buddies at Scholz Garten, the oldest and one of the most beloved sports bars in Austin. On Friday, Texas unveiled a 7-foot bronze statue to honor Conradt's role in that fight, her 900 career victories and her 1986 national championship team, the first in the sport to go undefeated. We dominated the series early, going 4-0 from 1982-86 en route to becoming the NCAA's first undefeated team to win a national women's basketball championship. For more information on how to contribute to Conradt's legacy, please contact: Her aspirations were to In the mid-70s, when Coach Jody Conradt was building a winning women's basketball program at Texas, she spent $5 on a magazine that explained North Carolina coach Dean Smith's run-and-jump defense. If I hadnt shown up, I would have been a fraud, he said. She was one of the very earliest supporters (of Texas Womens Athletics), said Chris Plonsky, chief of staff for Texas Athletics. I didnt have the big picture in mind. A box lunch for attendee is included in the registration cost. Jody Conradt was the Texas women's basketball coach from 1976-2007 and is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. His sons Aaron and Andrew, daughter Aubrey and a group of grandchildren were there, snapping photographs and soaking in the warmth of the moment. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level. Women's Power Rankings: Pac-12 teams, Maryland show their teeth, SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school girls' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Creating a model collegiate program that several other schools have tried to emulate, but 2023 The University of Texas at Austin Athletics, J. Dan Brown Family Player Development Center, Conradt among National Sportsmanship Day 20th Anniversary honorees, Conradt honored with Joe Lapchick Character Award, Conradt honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by NACWAA, Conradt to co-chair WBCA ethics committee, Conradt to be honored with TAHPERD Pathfinder Award, Conradt selected as 2008 Naismith Outstanding Contributors to Basketball award winners, Conradt to receive Giant Steps Award from National Consortium for Academics and Sports, Sam Houston State University: 74-23 (1969-73), The University of Texas at Arlington: 43-39 (1973-76), The University of Texas at Austin: 783-245 (1976-2007), The University of Texas at Austin: 62-38-7 (1976-77), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1998), National Coach of the Year (1979-80, 1985-86, 1996-97, 2003-04), Carol Eckmann Award for contributions to women's basketball, Women's Basketball Coaches Association (1987), The University of Texas-Arlington Athletics Hall of Honor (1987), The University of Texas Women's Athletics Hall of Honor (2000 inaugural class), International Women's Sports Hall of Fame, Women's Sports Foundation, New York (1995), Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Waco, Texas (1998), Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Knoxville, Tenn. (1999 inaugural class), International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame, Kingston, R.I. (2003), 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America, Institute for International Sport, Kingston, R.I. (2007), Giant Steps Award, National Consortium for Academics and Sports, Orlando, Fla. (2007), Outstanding Contributor to Basketball, Atlanta Tipoff Club (2008), Sam Houston State University Athletics Hall of Fame (2010), Texas Women's Hall of Fame, Dallas (1986), Baylor University Distinguished Alumnus (1989), Field Scovell Award, Dallas All-Sports Association (2003), Harvey Penick Award for Excellence in the Game of Life, Caritas of Austin (2003), CASEY Award, Kansas City Sports Association (2004), Woman of Distinction Award, Central Texas Girl Scouts (2005), Neighborhood Longhorns Linking Community With Education Award, Austin (2006), Most Worthy Citizen Award, Austin Board of Realtors (2007), Bridges Award, The Movement Organization, Austin (2007), Commencement Speaker, UT Graduation (2008), Legends Honoree, Dallas Texas Exes Chapter Texas-OU Weekend (2008), Distinguished speaker series, internships, Health and wellness research at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.