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SI Swim panelist Jasmine Sanders speaks while Berkleigh Wright (right) and moderator Jenn Hunter listen during the BYU-Big 12 women's empowerment event at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

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SI Swim panelists Jasmine Sanders (left), moderator Jenn Hunter and panelists Berkleigh Wright and Mady Dewey (far right) pose for a photo during the BYU-Big 12 women's empowerment event at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU senior associate athletic director Liz Darger talks while panelists Camille Johnson (center) and Diljeet Taylor listen during the BYU-Big 12 women's empowerment event at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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A sign highlights the purpose of the BYU-Big 12 women's empowerment event at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Attendees participate in various activities during the BYU-Big 12 women's empowerment event at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Attendees participate in various activities during the BYU-Big 12 women's empowerment event at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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23ATH Big12 Women's Empowerment 219 23ATH BIG12 Women’s Empowerment 2023 BYU Homecoming October 19, 2023 © BYU PHOTO 2023 All Rights Reserved photo@byu.edu (801)422-7322

Courtesy BYU Photo

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The BYU Afro Dance Ensemble Women perform during the BYU-Big 12 women's empowerment event at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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SI Swim panelist Jasmine Sanders speaks while Mady Dewey (far right) and Berkleigh Wright as well as moderator Jenn Hunter (far left) listen during the BYU-Big 12 women's empowerment event at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Most would think that Jasmine Sanders would be completely comfortable on stage in front of people.

After all, she has been modeling since she was 13 years old, has a social media following of more than 6 million people and has been featured on a number of national television shows, ad campaigns and magazines.

But it’s not easy for Sanders because she often gets extremely anxious in front of crowd because she said she wants to do well. She told a story about how at events she’ll be smiling but can only hear her teeth chattering because she is so nervous.

Yet as she sat on the stage as part of a panel discussion on women’s empowerment in the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, she said she found herself relaxing and sharing openly with the audience.

“I’m just proud of myself,” Sanders said in an interview after the presentation. “I’ve been through a lot of hard things in my life, so it took a lot to come on a stage and feel so comfortable today. In a moment that I might not feel like I’m enough, I’m realize that I am enough because I did it. And it’s not just trying. I was doing it.”

Sander’s message of realizing that she is enough just doing her best encompassed the overall objective of the four-hour event focused on strengthening and building women. Titled “Lean into Light TogetHER,” it was a collaboration between BYU for homecoming week and the Big 12’s “Be You Women’s Empowerment Series.”

The event featured speakers, panels and performances as well as activities that like flowers, crafts, photos and makeup.

“I feel like there is everything in this one room to help a woman fill her cup,” Sanders said. “I feel like this is that type of room where you’re surrounded by a lot of women who are all trying to be better as well. I feel like no one’s afraid in here to just be open and honest about who they are and what’s going on with them. I think it’s extremely important and hopefully I get to do a lot more of these.”

Speakers like BYU head cheer coach Jocelyn Allan, Cougar women’s tennis player Bitsy Tullis, BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte Madrian, BYU associate vice president of belonging Lita Little Giddins, and Chante Stutznegger of “Let’s Talk Sis” shared messages of hope, determination, faith and building each other up.

Sanders — whose social media nickname is “Golden Barbie” — was part of the Sports Illustrated Swim panel with Mady Dewey, a tech entrepreneur and model from California, and Berkleigh Wright, an Oracle salesperson and Denver Broncos cheerleader from Kansas.

They talked extensively about how regardless of appearances everyone has challenges and how important it is for women to be true to themselves. They gave advice on how to find personal strength, how to fight the trap of comparisons, ways to deal with social media challenges and how key it is to be there for others.

“These messages are extremely important and I’m honestly very, very jealous because I never got to do anything like this,” Sanders said.

The other panel included BYU women’s head cross country coach Diljeet Taylor, general Relief Society president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Camille Johnson and BYU senior associate athletic director Liz Darger, and was moderated by Whitney Johnson Catt, BYU associate athletic director for student-athlete development, diversity and inclusion.

Much of their remarks centered on the theme of light, particularly with regards to faith in Jesus Christ.

“I’ve learned that helping others’ light shine brighter doesn’t dim your light,” Taylor told the audience. “In fact, it makes your light shine brighter as well.”

Darger spoke about how she has learned that everyone — both women and men — have their own light and that it’s important to look for it.

“We live in a world that has a lot of darkness in it right now,” Darger said after the panel. “If we can provide light, if we can provide messages of hope, of confidence, of joy, then we’re doing a great thing.”

Since it was the first time the university had put on this type of women’s empowerment event, no one knew how it would be received. The answer came in the form of thousands of women of a variety of ages coming to hear messages and interact with the event activities.

“This was more than I ever could have imagined,” said Jenn Hunter, Big 12 chief impact officer and one of the organizers. “I’m so thankful to BYU for just taking the chance on it and just trusting that we really were trying to come with something beautiful.”

She said that she saw the value of the presentations in her interactions with the attendees.

“To see the lines, to see these young women, to see the smiles, and see the amount of women who have just stopped me and hugged me, this is more than I could have imagined.” Hunter said. “I am so thankful for BYU to be in the Big 12.”

Both Darger and Hunter generally focus on athletics in their jobs but they saw this collaboration as a chance to take things they are passionate about a step further.

“It’s really rewarding because it’s combining some things that I absolutely love,” Darger said. “I love sports, I love higher education and I love being a woman. I love being a sister with all these incredible women here.”

Hunter said she has real concerns about the messages women and girls are getting.

“I have the benefit of working in college sports, which is the love of education as well as sports,” Hunter said. “But I was a high school teacher and I see what’s happening with the youth. We want to be able to empower them.”

While the speakers and panelists had a host of strong messages for the women in attendance and each other, Sanders said there is one she hopes everyone takes away from the event.

“That message is that no one is perfect,” Sanders said. “Absolutely no one is perfect and the second that you recognize that, life gets a lot easier. It’s powerful just knowing that everyone’s human, everyone goes through the same problems.”

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