• The live event series, Young Women Lead (YWL), marked its second trip to Robinson, Illinois, in March of this year, following a successful inaugural trip in 2022.
• The national live event series, which aims to create life-changing experiences for high school girls across the country, was held at Lincoln Trail College again in 2023.
• For the second year in a row, Marathon Petroleum’s refinery in Robinson was a sponsor and helped bring the popular event back to central Illinois.

After its successful inaugural trip last year, Young Women LEAD (YWL) made its return to Robinson, Illinois, during Women’s History Month in March. The live event series, which aims to inspire and create life-changing experiences for high school girls across the country, was once again held at Robinson’s Lincoln Trail College.

Employees from MPC’s Robinson refinery worked with volunteers from other companies in the area to bring the popular event back to central Illinois. This year’s event hosted more than 200 sophomore and junior girls from high schools in Crawford and Lawrence counties to hear presentations from locally and nationally recognized leaders.

YWL’s 2023 keynote speaker, Amberley Snyder, a competitive barrel racer from Utah, shared her personal story of tragedy to triumph, after a 2010 car crash left the professional horse racer paralyzed from the legs down. Snyder, who got back on the horse after her accident, now crisscrosses the nation sharing her story and how she never stopped working to achieve her goals.

The conference also featured local women leaders, who shared their life experiences and tips for achieving a successful and meaningful future.

“So many people from the local community worked together to bring this event to Robinson and Crawford County, and we couldn’t be happier with the results,” said Robinson refinery General Manager Amy Macak. “We want these young women to leave this event feeling inspired and empowered to dream big.”

MPC is a national sponsor of YWL, which held its first conference in 2010. Since then, the conference has produced close to 60 events nationwide, reaching more than 40,000 high school girls.