Annual WLP Symposium underscores the possibilities support provides 

Oct. 16, 2026
By Molly Urnek

Before taking the stage at the 2026 Women in Leadership and Philanthropy Fall Symposium, “Father of the Bride” star Kimberly Williams-Paisley sat down with students for an intimate conversation about resilience and remaining true to themselves. 

“Speaking with Kimberly reminded me that the experiences that shape us can also become our way to help others,” said Kaleigh Kloepper, a recipient of the WLP Endowed Scholarship. “She inspired me to think about how I can use my own skills to give back and be a voice for people who may be going through something I’ve experienced myself.” 

The symposium also featured empowerment panels for community members, with topics ranging from entrepreneurship to brain health.  

“The annual WLP Fall Symposium is a celebration of the program’s impact and an opportunity to gather our community around our shared mission,” said Grace Maseda-Sainz, MS ’14, executive director of WLP.  

Since 2005, WLP members have contributed over $17 million of pledged support and countless hours of mentorship, helping numerous USF students and faculty achieve their goals. In the 2025-26 academic year alone, WLP awarded 179 scholarships and $30,000 in grants to USF faculty." 

“It’s such an advantage to have a community that believes in my potential and gives students like me access to mentors and life-changing opportunities,” said Brianna Perez, ’26, a WLP scholar and master’s student in the Muma College of Business who spoke during the main program.  

Supported by Florida Blue as the presenting sponsor for the 13th consecutive year and Lake Michigan Credit Union as the premier sponsor, WLP recognized two pioneering physicians who have expanded access to care and opened doors for generations of women in medicine during the symposium.  

2026 WLP Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Moira Burke, MD, built a five-decade career as an eye surgeon, medical educator and community leader. A longtime member of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s clinical faculty, she trained generations of ophthalmology residents while also caring for veterans during her service in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Medical Corps. 

“I remember over 80 years ago, my mother, Dorothy Warren Burke, whispered in my ear, ‘Nothing is impossible. Everything is possible.’ And you know what? She was right,” Burke said to the sold-out crowd of nearly 1,000 people. “WLP is, in fact, making the impossible possible.” 

2026 WLP Community Leadership Award recipient and general surgeon Sylvia Campbell, MD ’77, served the Tampa Bay community in private practice for more than 45 years. Her commitment to patient care has taken her from Tampa’s Judeo Christian Health Clinic to underserved communities in Haiti and Uganda. 

“One thing that I have been led to understand is that we each have many doors placed in front of us in life, and it is our choice whether we step through them,” Campbell said. “The first step is often difficult, but if we do, we are often given the opportunity to touch and be touched by so many we encounter.” 

After the awards presentation, WFLA Daytime show host Maggie Rodriguez welcomed Williams-Paisley to the stage for a Q&A session. The acclaimed actress and director talked about her work as a bestselling author and as a filmmaker, advocate for Alzheimer's awareness and co-founder of The Store, a nonprofit that addresses food insecurity. 

Williams-Paisley stressed the value of helping others at any level, from speaking publicly from a large platform to helping the closest person. 

“It’s important to do what you can where you are,” she said. “We’re all given different gifts, different opportunities, and it’s vital to use what we’re given to make the world a better place.” 

For more information about USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy, go to usf.to/wlp.