11/5/2002
Sue Carter, member of the all-women Polar Trek 2001 team to the North Pole, will speak to a gathering of MSU Alumni in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The program will be held at the Watermark Country Club at 1600 Galbraith SE (off Cascade Road, just east of Spalding Avenue) in Grand Rapids. There will be a reception at 6 p.m. followed by Carter's talk at 7 p.m.
Carter and 11 other women journeyed to Siberia in spring 2001. From Siberia, they skied approximately 130 miles to the North Pole over the course of nine days. They are the first women to reach the North Pole using that particular route. Four years ago, Carter and others from the Polar Trek 2001 team founded WomenQuest, a non-profit organization that encourages young women to achieve challenging personal goals.
The event is being hosted by the College of Communication Arts and Sciences Alumni Association Board of Directors. James D. Spaniolo, dean of the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, will be introducing the program and giving brief remarks on the state of the college.
"Sue Carter has a fascinating story to tell, and we are pleased to be able to give our alumni from the west Michigan area the chance to hear about her incredible journey," Spaniolo said. "Her journey, and her work to encourage young women to reach for their dreams, is an inspiration for all of us."
Carter is the secretary of the MSU Board of Trustees and the executive assistant to the President. She is also an associate professor of journalism at MSU.
"This is a great opportunity for our alumni in the Grand Rapids area to come out, catch up with former classmates and hear about Carter's once-in-a-lifetime experience with Polar Trek 2001," said Gary Mescher, president of the MSU National Alumni Board of Directors and treasurer of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences Alumni Board.
Alumni are invited to register for the event by e-mailing pkacos@msu.edu or calling (517) 432-8046. For more information about WomenQuest, visit www.womenquest.org