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Florida State University\u2019s First Lady Jai Vartikar joined hundreds of students, alumni and campus leaders Wednesday, April 22 for the inaugural Legacy Tea, an event that honored the university\u2019s roots as a women\u2019s college and recognized the impact of female leaders.<\/p>\n
Hosted by the Panhellenic Association in the Student Union Ballrooms, the event was part of the university\u2019s yearlong 175th anniversary celebration<\/a>.<\/p>\n The program featured remarks from student, faculty and university leaders, including Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht, history Professor and Department Chair Jennifer Koslow, Panhellenic President Emma Clark and this year\u2019s featured speaker FSU First Lady Jai Vartikar.<\/p>\n Vartikar said the event reflects a central truth about Florida State\u2019s history: \u201cWhen we talk about the legacy of Florida State University, we are talking about the legacy of women.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n FSU’s inaugural Legacy Tea brought together students, alumni and campus leaders on April 22, 2026, in the Student Union Ballrooms. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University.Florida State University\u2019s First Lady Jai Vartikar joined hundreds of students, alumni and campus leaders for the inaugural Legacy Tea on April 22, 2026. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University.Florida State University hosted its inaugural Legacy Tea, an event that honored the university\u2019s roots as a women\u2019s college and recognized the impact of female leaders on April 22, 2026. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University.<\/p>\n Florida State\u2019s early history reflects that legacy. While the institution began as the West Florida Seminary, it awarded its first two diplomas in 1880 to women. The university later became the Florida State College for Women, growing into one of the largest and most respected women\u2019s colleges in the nation.<\/p>\n That period helped shape the university\u2019s identity. The college\u2019s focus on developing the \u201ccomplete woman\u201d \u2014 intellectually, morally and creatively \u2014 is still reflected in Florida State\u2019s motto: Vires, Artes, Mores, or strength, skill and character.<\/p>\n That history was also highlighted during the program by Koslow, who spoke about the university\u2019s evolution from a women\u2019s college to the modern institution it is today. Throughout Florida State College for Women\u2019s history, hosting and attending teas held an important role for students.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I thought about the past and the present, I wonder about the teas,\u201d Koslow shared. \u201cI wonder about how our students would think about them as spaces to mix the social and the educational, as places to engage in civil conversation, as places where people could learn to be leaders. And so, if our past is any indicator, these types of spaces certainly hold great potential.\u201d<\/p>\n FSU returned to coeducation in 1947, but Vartikar said the influence of those earlier generations remains clear today.<\/p>\n \u201cCaring about student success is the foundation of excellence that was built generations ago by women,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was women who created our special family culture. They set high standards, supported one another, and made this university a place where women could thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Florida State University First Lady Jai Vartikar spoke to hundreds of students, alumni and campus leaders during the inaugural Legacy Tea on April 22, 2026. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University.Florida State University Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht spoke to hundreds of students, alumni and campus leaders at the inaugural Legacy Tea on April 22, 2026. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University.Florida State University history professor Jennifer Koslow spoke to hundreds of students, alumni and campus leaders during the inaugural Legacy Tea on April 22, 2026. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University.Florida State University Panhellenic President Emma Clark spoke to hundreds of students, alumni and campus leaders during the inaugural Legacy Tea on April 22, 2026. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University.<\/p>\n The Legacy Tea also focused on the present. In her remarks on \u201cThe Modern Woman Leader,\u201d Clark spoke about the role women continue to play in shaping the university.<\/p>\n \u201cThe modern woman leader is not someone who has just realized her own potential, but someone who is actively involved in the realization of someone else\u2019s,\u201d Clark said. \u201cWe have women\u2019s leadership written into our founding, and we now have the responsibility to continue that narrative. The modern woman leader is not a departure from the women who pioneered our institution, but rather proof of their investment.\u201d<\/p>\n Vartikar, who holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology, said it is especially meaningful to see women shaping discovery and innovation across campus.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether they are students, faculty or staff members, women at FSU are innovators, mentors and changemakers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n FSU’s inaugural Legacy Tea brought together hundreds of students, alumni and campus leaders on April 22, 2026. Photo by Molly Creel\/Florida State University.Florida State University\u2019s First Lady Jai Vartikar speaks to a student at the inaugural Legacy Tea on April 22, 2026. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University.FSU’s inaugural Legacy Tea was hosted by the Panhellenic Association on April 22, 2026. Photo by Molly Creel\/Florida State University.<\/p>\n She also pointed to alumnae making an impact beyond campus, including Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx and an FSU graduate, who will return as a commencement speaker this spring and be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters<\/a>.<\/p>\n The event highlighted achievements in athletics as well, including national championships in women\u2019s soccer and the recent launch of women\u2019s lacrosse as the university\u2019s 21st varsity sport.<\/p>\n The evening included performances by the Acabelles and string quartet. Attendees also had the opportunity to take home a keepsake Florida State College for Women (FSCW) miniature replica diploma, even using the same embosser used to place the seal on the diplomas of FSCW graduates.<\/p>\n For organizers, the Legacy Tea was both a reflection and a call to action.<\/p>\n \u201cLegacy isn\u2019t just something we inherit \u2014 it\u2019s something we steward,\u201d Vartikar said, encouraging students to carry the university\u2019s traditions forward.<\/p>\n She expressed hope that the event will become an annual tradition, giving future generations a chance to reflect on the role women have played in shaping Florida State University and the role they will continue to play in its future.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n FSU’s inaugural Legacy Tea honored the university\u2019s roots as a women\u2019s college and recognized the impact of female leaders on April 22, 2026. Photo by Molly Creel\/Florida State University.FSU’s inaugural Legacy Tea was held as part of the university’s yearlong 175th anniversary celebration. Photo by Molly Creel\/Florida State University.FSU’s inaugural Legacy Tea, honored the university\u2019s roots as a women\u2019s college and recognized the impact of female leaders on April 22, 2026. Photo by Molly Creel\/Florida State University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00a0 PHOTO GALLERY \u00a0 Florida State University\u2019s First Lady Jai Vartikar joined hundreds of students, alumni and campus…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":244139,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[56133,37348,107609,63042,84828,232,234,233],"class_list":["post-244138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-amy-hecht","tag-division-of-student-affairs","tag-fraternity-and-sorority-life","tag-fsu-175","tag-jai-vartikar","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244138"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244138\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260422-Legacy-Tea-15299-MJC-103-WEB118-512x342.jpg\")
Florida State University hosted its inaugural Legacy Tea on April 22, 2026, in the Student Union Ballrooms. Photo by Matthew McConnell\/Florida State University. <\/p>\n