Inspiring Boldness Speaker Series with Alumna GIADA DE LAURENTIIS '89
The Marymount Anchor’s Editor-in-Chief Lucia Kim '16 and Assistant Editor-in-Chief Clara Lacey '17 reflect on the importance of building a supportive female network after Chef Giada De Laurentiis '89 addressed the student body as part of the 2016 Inspiring Boldness Speaker Series on Monday, March 7.
A
s girls walked into Pavilion to take their seats, a certain buzz and excitement for the highly anticipated guest speaker filled the air. Meanwhile, outside, the speaker was feeling a different sort of excitement – a kind of reminiscent awe that can overwhelm you when visiting your alma mater. This feeling can often raise questions such as “Where has the time gone?” or “How did I get to where I am today?” What we learned through that day’s presentation was that the answers to these questions for this particular individual are simple: hard work, commitment, and not being afraid to do the unexpected. This is Giada De Laurentiis. Since she graduated from Marymount in the late eighties, she has become many things: a savvy entrepreneur, a successful author, an Emmy award-winning television star, a renowned chef, and closest to her heart, a dedicated mother. Yet she started her
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THE MARYMOUNT MAGAZINE | SPRING 2016
presentation to our community with these words: “If you had told me in high school that I would be on the career path that I am today, I never would have believed you!” Calling herself a shy teen, but a “true Marymount girl,” Giada recounted many memories from years past – from sharing lunch with her friends in Freshman Courtyard (her contribution was always pasta, as she was raised in a large, foodloving Italian family) to running around UCLA as part of track practice, Giada was involved in a variety of activities on campus. Giada shared that her most impactful memory, however, was not necessarily an activity or a club, or even a particular moment. It was a more intangible lesson she learned over her four years here, something that has often helped her navigate the waters of working in the heavily male-dominated food industry: the power of great female relationships and the
support system they build. Giada expanded on this, telling us that she believes that the all-female environment at Marymount has helped to deeply support her in life, along with countless other young women as well. “There is a certain confidence gained at this school that is simply harder to develop in other high school settings,” she stated. When asked about some of the challenges she has faced in her career and life today, Giada spoke of the many gender barriers and confidence inhibitors she frequently faces in her industry. Even though she is a wildly successful chef, entrepreneur, and author, Giada told the audience that she often finds herself asking the question, “Would this be different if I weren’t a woman?” “I am female, short, and petite, so I don’t really look at all like the average chef. After college at UCLA, I purposely chose a profession different from what a girl at the