Dr. Lynne Murray brought renewed energy to McMurry’s longstanding tradition as she hosted her first Women’s Leadership Luncheon this spring. After completing Campus Center renovations, the event returned to the Mabee Room for the first time in two years.
Now in its 15th year, the Women’s Leadership Luncheon continues to celebrate and empower women leaders in the McMurry community and beyond. Featuring accomplished women leaders from various fields, the event offers inspiring stories, fosters connection, and encourages the next generation to lead with purpose and confidence.
A highlight of the event each year is the presentation of the Dr. Sandra S. Harper Women’s Leadership Scholarship, a $ 5,000 scholarship awarded to two traditional and one non-traditional students who are excellent leadership models on campus and in the community.
This year, the traditional student chosen was Carmen Velasquez, a junior from El Paso, Texas, majoring in Business with a concentration in Finance. The non-traditional student was Maribel Hernandez, a first-generation college student from Sweetwater, Texas, pursuing a degree in Business Administration online.
As a special surprise for McMurry’s second female president, the Women’s Leadership Luncheon Committee announced a new $5,000 scholarship named in honor of Dr. Lynne Murray. This award will be presented annually alongside the Harper Scholarships.
The featured speaker for this year’s luncheon was Shannon Sedgwick Davis ‘96, CEO of Bridgeway Foundation and the author of “To Stop a Warlord.” A McMurry honors graduate and Baylor Law alumna, Davis is a globally recognized advocate for human rights and justice. Through the Bridgeway Foundation, she has led groundbreaking efforts to end mass atrocities and support at-risk communities worldwide, working with groups such as Invisible Children, Human Rights Watch, and Aegis Trust.
Davis’s many accolades include the Nomi Network’s 2014 Abolitionist Award; a Global Human Rights Hero award from Saving Innocence; the Navy SEAL “Fire in the Gut” Award; and the 2022 International Citizen of the Year Award from the World Affairs Council of San Antonio. McMurry recognized her with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2024.
Before the luncheon, students met with Davis in an open forum, where she spoke candidly about her time at McMurry, how she discovered her true calling, and the leap of faith it took to leave behind a successful career as an attorney to pursue something that made her “heart beat a little faster.” She encouraged students to take bold risks and pursue purpose-driven work. “When you do what you’re designed and created to do in all the world,” she told them, “life finds a way to reward you.”
During the luncheon, Davis engaged in an on-stage conversation with moderator Neena McClain ’91, delving into her leadership philosophy. Davis shared insights from her work in Uganda, where she and her team collaborated with local communities to facilitate the reintegration of former child soldiers abducted by a terrorist rebel group. She emphasized that effective leadership hinges on listening deeply to those affected, stating that “listening closely to communities… is so important” in resolving complex issues.
She concluded with a moving story about a moment she shared with Archbishop Desmond Tutu while visiting a refugee camp. Surrounded by grieving families who had lost their homes and loved ones, the atmosphere was heavy with sorrow. Then, in a surprising and uplifting moment, Tutu began to sing and dance joyfully, gently raising the spirits of everyone around him. As they left the site, she asked him why he had done this at such a somber moment. He replied, “Joy is a discipline. You have to practice it.” Davis sees hardship daily in her work, but she carries his advice with her, finding strength in the practice of joy even in the most challenging times.