Celebrating Women’s History Month, the Women’s Resource Center at Sacramento State hosted the first “Women Who Bloomed” event in collaboration with the Cultural Academic Resource Centers. Held in the University Union on March 10, the event featured tables from other CARC programs, each choosing a distinct flower for community members to select and build bouquets around.

Community members were greeted at the door and walked around the room, learning about each program, the resources they provide and the significance of the program’s selected flower. After choosing their flowers, students convened at tables in the middle of the room where they used shears and ribbons to construct bouquets honoring their own growth or a loved one.

The flowers, which ranged from roses to carnations, were chosen by each resource center depending on how the flowers traits related to them. Some, like the Multicultural Center, chose flowers like eucalyptus as it represents global connection, resilience and beauty. Others, like the Dreamer Resource Center, chose the white lily due to it embodying resilience or migration.

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Clarice Serrano, a senior marketing major, said she saw a flyer for “Women Who Bloomed” online and found it inspiring to attend an event celebrating Women’s History Month. Serrano said it was insightful to learn about many of the resources available through CARC and that she attended the event to recognize her growth throughout her college career.

“It gives you a lot of joy and happiness just to be who I am. [My friend and I] are striving to graduate this semester, so this just gave us a little catalyst,” Serrano said.

As the waves of students built bouquets and finished their walkarounds, many planters around the room were left empty as students packed into the Cottonwood Suite. Although the event was scheduled to last two hours, many tables distributed all their flowers within the first half hour.

Nataly Andrade-Dominguez, assistant program coordinator for the WRC, said theming the event around flowers was intentional to highlight women’s growth. Aside from informing students about CARC resources, Andrade-Dominguez said the event aimed to give community members an opportunity to honor women in their life or themselves.

“This [event] really was based off community, on how we can gather women, our allies and whoever else wanted to attend,” Andrade-Dominguez said.

Andrade-Domiguez greeted several students at the door and said many seemed interested in making a bouquet.

“We always want our students to come to events, and that they’re excited about it,” Andrade-Dominguez said. “If there is a line as soon as we open the doors, it gives us more motivation for next year to go bigger.”

Pouches holding shears and sharpies line the middle table for students to craft their bouquets at the “Women Who Bloomed” event held Tuesday March 10, 2026. Once crafted, students took home their bouquets in flower bags. (Ray Kopf)

Jimena Aguilar Gamino, a senior criminal justice major, was one such student who made a bouquet before tables ran out of flowers. Aguilar Gamino said the event was a much-needed break from both midterms and her job on campus, where she heard about the WRC-hosted event.

“I think the event was very magical, and it was very beautiful to attend, allowing everyone to come together and learn about different centers on campus,” Aguilar Gamino said. “Learning how they represent themselves through the flowers was very beautiful and very well done.”

Aguilar Gamino said she crafted her bouquet to recognize her upcoming graduation and her journey through university. The flowers were provided by The Rose & Olive, a local florist owned by Sac State alumna Leen Khattab.

WRC Director Cara Campbell said the program had been planning the event for three months, and the choice of vendor was an intentional partnership to give back to the Sac State community. Planning the event alongside Andrade-Domiguez, Campbell said it was a full-circle moment to see their planning of a community-based event come to fruition.

“The event was phenomenal. We ran out of flowers, which is a great thing,” Campbell said. “We ran out, but the event was still a huge bloom.”

Campbell also said they exceeded their goal of informing and interacting with the community. Based on how quickly the flower stock had depleted, Campbell said it was motivation for the next event.

“We can’t wait for it to happen again next year,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be even bigger and better.”