A promotion from a past Women’s History Month display (File photo – Staff)
Notable female leaders from across California will take center stage later this month as the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) hosts its 9th Annual Women’s History Month Assembly, a free event celebrating leadership, collaboration, and the enduring impact of the women’s liberation movement.
By Melanie Hooks
The assembly will take place on March 25, 2026, at 6:00 pm at Thurgood Marshall Secondary School, located at 990 Allen Ave. The event will also be livestreamed, expanding access to audiences beyond the local community.
This year’s keynote will feature California’s First Partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, in a pre-recorded address. She will be joined by a lineup of influential speakers, including former Cornell women’s basketball player and marketing executive Claire Perry, who will deliver a live keynote, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who will provide a pre-recorded message. PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco will also participate in the program.
Centered on the theme “The Power of Teamwork,” the event will highlight how collaboration has shaped women’s achievements across fields, from athletics to education and beyond. Organizers emphasize that teamwork remains a cornerstone of women’s leadership, echoing the words of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson: “Without a team, you’re just a person with an idea.”
The annual assembly was established in 2018 by Principal Lori Touloumian and PUSD Trustee Jennifer Hall Lee. Since its inception, it has combined guest speakers with student engagement through essay and art competitions open to middle and high school students.
This year’s student prompt invites participants to reflect on a time they benefited from the teamwork of women, encouraging personal storytelling about collaboration, leadership, and mutual support. Students may also submit artwork representing their experiences.
“This event continues to grow as a platform for inspiration and academic exploration,” Touloumian said, noting that Newsom’s past support of local school communities following the Eaton Fire has left a lasting impression.
Hall Lee underscored the broader educational mission: “The history of how the women’s liberation movement advanced our nation is worthy of being studied, and PUSD is at the forefront of this type of academic innovation.”
The assembly builds on a legacy of high-profile keynote speakers, including Sasha Renée Pérez, Judy Chu, Maxine Waters, Hillary Clinton, and labor activist Dolores Huerta. Past events have even featured pre-recorded messages from women’s rights activists in Pakistan, underscoring the assembly’s global perspective.
With free admission and a focus on both historical progress and future challenges, the 2026 Women’s History Month Assembly aims to inspire the next generation to recognize, and participate in, the power of teamwork.
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