Athena Clark, 2017 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award Recipient

The annual Tri-Cities Women in Business Conference typically takes place in January, but has been postponed to later in the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked past ATHENA Award recipients for their favorite inspirational quotes, podcasts, books, and more to help motivate you through 2021.

Words of Wisdom

The women whom I love and admire for their strength and grace did not get that way because shit worked out. They got that way because shit went wrong, and they handled it. They handled it in a thousand different ways on a thousand different days, but they handled it. Those women are my superheroes." - Elizabeth Gilbert

Let’s face it ladies, none of us got where we are today taking the path of least resistance. We have all walked a long, hard and sometimes messy road that has at times felt unbearable. We have all faced adversity, wanted to give up and have felt defeated, but it is our “Perseverance” that has kept us in the fight. As women, we certainly know life is full of storms, some of which could certainly send us in a full retreat if we allowed. But we don’t! We keep showing up! We keep pushing through! We find our inner strength and refuse to give up and we do so with strength and grace. I have kept this quote nearby for years as a reminder that no storm is stronger than that of a passionate and driven woman on a mission to do what is right for the right reason. You ladies are my Superheroes!

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Athena Clark is an officer for the West Richland Police Department.