The Pause Party began through lived experience, listening, and noticing a gap in community support for women navigating midlife and menopause.

As I moved through my own journey, I kept hearing the same questions from women in Centre County and the region: Is this normal? Why didn’t anyone tell us this? Where do we go for real answers? These conversations revealed a shared need for trusted information, honest dialogue, and spaces where women could feel less alone.

Over time, I began gathering local experts—doctors, practitioners, and guides—through relationships and community connections. Eventually, the need felt too big to ignore. I hosted the first Pause Party Panel in Sue Paterno’s living room, creating an intimate, welcoming space for conversation and connection. Women shared stories, asked questions, laughed, cried, and left feeling supported and hopeful.

The second Pause Party expanded to PSU's campus, where 168 women attended—standing room only—for an expanded panel of local experts. Women came from Centre County and neighboring areas, filling the room with energy, curiosity, and relief at having open conversations about topics often overlooked or dismissed. The feedback was clear: they wanted more opportunities to talk, listen, and connect.

The Pause Party Remix, happening April 27 at 6:00 PM, intentionally responds to that feedback. The Remix includes a panel of local experts, paired with small-group conversations, guided storytelling, and deep listening. This blended approach offers credible information alongside meaningful community connection, fostering belonging, reducing isolation, & strengthening support networks among local women.

Beyond the event, the Remix launches a four-part deep dive series focused on hormones, heart and bone health, brain and mental wellbeing, and gut, nutrition, and skin—extending learning and connection beyond one evening.

The Pause Party Initiative is being developed to remain accessible & sustainable as it grows.