Cape Police Department hosts ‘Shes Ready’ Conference

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The ‘She’s Ready’ conference will be held in Cape Girardeau, and it’s designed to help women on their college journeys to have the tools and knowledge they need to navigate college successfully and safely. 

This is the first year for the Shes Ready conference, hosted by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. The conference is completely free and is for female students transitioning from high school into their first year of college. Cape Girardeau Public Information’s officer Bobby Newton shares how to register.

“If we can offer a short training for these young ladies to make sure they’re well prepared going out on their own and what to kind of expect going into the college life” says Newton. “If we can equip them with the skills and aspects, they need going into that era of life than that’s what were here for. There is a pre-registration that’s required. I will need them to send me an email, or they can call me here at the station and I can provide them all the details on that. If they’re 17 not quite 18 yet I will need a parent signature to sign off for them to attend because there is a self-defense portion which is a hands-o portion that will be involved as well.” 

Cadrian Hutsell is a graduate student at Southeast Missouri State University. She says she thinks the conference is a great opportunity for young women entering college, specifically for those from smaller rural areas entering into bigger city colleges.  

“The university already does a good job at trying to prepare you for college just depending on what the student signs up for but this is a great opportunity to kind of narrow it down to girl students in general just so it feels a little more personable to them and I like the fact that they have self-defense classes as well because ya know, you never know what situation could come up. You don’t want to use those defenses but just in case” says Hutsell.

The conference will be held at the Cape Girardeau Police Department and is scheduled for August 7, 2025, and runs from 8 am through 2 pm and will consist of situational awareness training, alcohol awareness, mental health tools, self-defense basics and more.

Refreshments will also be provided. Newton says this conference will be much more than just another power point session 

 “Try it out, see if you like it. This is the first year that we’ve done it so I’m looking forward to it. I think you’re going to gain a lot of experience here. I think you’re going to get a lot of information that’s useful” says Newton. “It’s not just going to be a PowerPoint and we talk to you all day. It’s going to be hands on. We’re going to get you involved and we’re going to teach you some skills that will help protect you in the future.”  

To register call the Cape Girardeau Police Department at 573-335-6621 ext.1393 or email Rnewton@cityofcape.org.