LANCASTER — Ohio University Southern is once again joining OHIO Lancaster and Regional Higher Education in offering the 16th annual Celebrate Women conference, scheduled for Friday.

The theme of this year’s conference is Celebrating Resilience and Rejuvenation.

The conference will return to its in-person format on the Lancaster campus and will have several virtual sessions available for those planning to attend remotely.

Paralympian gold medalist and EPSN host and anchor, Victoria Arlen, is this year’s keynote speaker. The topic of her keynote address is “Face it, Embrace it, Defy it, Conquer it.”

Arlen has a remarkable story of overcoming odds and adversity. At 11 years old, she was diagnosed with two rare conditions; Transverse Myelitis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis. She soon lost the ability to speak, eat, walk and move. Arlen persevered through four years of being in a vegetative state and shortly after, began the near-impossible journey to relearn everyday tasks and functions.

When she joined ESPN, she was in a wheelchair. In the Spring of 2017, she celebrated the one-year anniversary of regaining her ability to walk. During her recovery, she became an accomplished motivational speaker, actress, model and competitive swimmer. In the fall of 2017, Arlen was a contestant on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, advancing to the final four before being eliminated. She released her autobiography, entitled “Locked In,” in 2018.

The day will begin with an opening panel, Women Who Lead: Reflection on Resilience and Rejuvenation, with panelists Laura Tussing, regional banking director and chief experience officer at Park National Bank, Mary Bradley, deputy inspector general for Cuyahoga County, and Christine Bhat of Patton College of Education.

Other virtual sessions are:

Coping with Change: Achieving Work-Life Balance with Andora Marshall, MA, Cyber Security Lead, American Electric Power;

Our Ohio: Inspiring Appalachian High School Students to Own Their Narrative Through Documentary Film with WOUB Public Media.

The purpose of Celebrate Women is — through education, enlightenment and inspiration -— to encourage and enhance gender equity by honoring the past, present and potential accomplishments of women from diverse ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. This event is planned in conjunction with National Women’s History Month.

Several Lawrence County organizations co-sponsored this year’s event: Quality Care Nursing, Health & Safety Sciences, LLC and the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. For a full list of sponsors, visit https://www.ohio.edu/lancaster/community/celebrate-women/sponsors

To register for Celebrate Women or to view the conference schedule, visit https://www.ohio.edu/lancaster/community/celebrate-women/celebrate-women