Singer Michelle Williams keynotes school corporation, Notre Dame women's empowerment event

NOTRE DAME, Ind. --- Singer Michelle Williams spoke to young ladies from high schools in South Bend on Thursday.

She spoke to the group of more than 200 girls about her life and how’s she’s applied lessons she’s learned to her career – the first, being nice. 

“Being nice actually gets you a long way,” Williams said. 

Speakers and panels, apart of the Women Empowering Women event, kept the students with pens in their hands, who scribbled notes for the future. The event hosted by the University of Notre Dame and Kenn Hardy, from the South Bend Community School Corporation, is geared toward high-performing and at-risk students. 

“It actually made my day a lot better,” said one student. “Before I came here, I had a stressful day.”

With homework and graduation looming, this student said the event lifted a weight off of her shoulders. While another student said she hopes to spread the information from the conference with others.

 “I think the kids that’s younger than us,” said Deannia Wright, from Rise Up Academy. “I think they should know what it is to be like to know how it feels when women are like taken up for each other and being around each other.”

Williams said the girls should believe in the power they have within themselves.

“I know so many people are walking around depressed or have anxiety feeling like they’re not qualified or they’re not good enough,” she said. “They’re overlooked they feel like they’re of no value, but just know you are of value, and simply, God loves you and when you know that you can do anything.”