Women's Studies students realize the promise of a liberal arts education: the freedom for the individual mind to escape confinement, transcend limitations, and rise above the business of day-to-day life to enter into the realm of imagination and curiosity, skepticism and hopefulness, questioning, testing, and discovering. The skills Women's Studies students develop are those of a liberal education, such as critical thinking, problem solving and strong communication skills. Women's Studies students at Sewanee and across the nation have entered careers in non-profit organizations, business, the creative arts, education, government and public policy, journalism, law, medicine, publishing, science, the social sciences, and social work. Their work in these fields often directly reflects their interest in women; for example, health professionals might focus on women's health issues or lawyers might specialize in family law, gender discrimination, or sexual harassment. Graduates of Sewanee and other institutions report that the broad, interdisciplinary background that Women's Studies provides makes them attractive candidates for graduate schools and employers who appreciate WS students' ability to think in a variety of disciplinary ways.
CLASS OF 2000
Summer Martins says, "The Women's Studies Program arrived just in time for me, so I am very proud to be among the first batch of students to complete it. After graduation, I fled the Mountain for Washington, D.C. so that I could save the world or something. I ended up falling in love with public health "who knew? " and moved to Minneapolis to work on a Master of Public Health degree. As far as I know, the Sewanee Club of Minnesota has one member --that's me. My work as an epidemiologist has mostly focused on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. I've been fortunate enough to work at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization in Geneva. I seem to be settling nicely in that niche where politics and health collide. Many people wonder why I'm doing such "science-y" work, considering my major at Sewanee (anthropology) and broad interest in social issues. But I think I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Sure, epidemiology involves a lot of number-crunching and other quantitative things. But the field also demands an inquisitive outlook on health and disease; asking good questions leads us to the right answers. My liberal arts education, especially my Women's Studies courses, allows me to ask better questions to understand the context surrounding disease. And reproductive health is mired in "context."
CLASS OF 2002
Carrie Barske-Saussy completed a M.A. in History/Public History at Northeastern University and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in History at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her primary research interest is in women and gender in early America.
Melissa Habel is currently pursing a Masters in Public Health at Emory University. When not in class, she works part-time at the Centers for Disease Control in their Division of STD Prevention on research projects concerning the new HPV vaccine and how the internet is a newly emerging risk environment for the transmission of STDs. "My women's studies classes allowed me to tap into my passion for sexual and reproductive health issues and human sexuality in general. I'm enjoying classes and my research at the CDC so much that I'm considering a PhD in Women's Studies upon completion of my masters."
Jessica Osaki is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Higher Education Administration at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Her current research project focuses on fundraising and communications efforts at St. Hilda's College at Oxford. St. Hilda's is the last remaining all women's college at Oxford. In recent years, there has been a effort to change St. Hilda's single sex status to co-educational. Jessica says this about her time at Sewanee: "Since completing my women's studies capstone project on Title IX, I have been drawn to understanding the important role gender equity plays in higher education. As I now study equity issues at an international level, I draw repeatedly on the foundation I received in the women's studies program at Sewanee."
CLASS OF 2003
Sasha Albani moved to Boston for the summer after graduation and worked with severely autistic teens at the New England Center for Children. At the end of the summer, she moved to San Francisco and took a job at the Seneca center working with severely autistic youth. She is now working on an MA in sports psychology and applying to Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) programs. Sasha believes that "Women's Studies has made me a much stronger woman. I feel more empowered and willing to speak out on what I believe in."
Ronald Andrew Allen is a second year MA student majoring in United States History at Howard University. He anticipates graduating with a Master of Arts in May, 2006, and will pursue a Ph.D. immediately thereafter. Ron holds the distinction of being Sewanee’s first male Women’s Studies concentrator. He says this about the program: "I believe in the lessons and themes of women’s history and feminist theory and feel that they empower the pursuit of universal freedom. Women’s Studies classes are unique in their ability to destroy the imaginary boundary that provides the illusion of a separation between our personal morality and political affiliations. I sincerely believe that Women’s Studies classes will provide the intellectual foundation for all students to recognize and respect the obligations that they have to their fellow man and woman. It is through the incorporation of Women’s Studies classes into my course study that has allowed me to redefine my ways of knowing and truly see that freedom is indivisible."
Tappan Heinsohn is attending law school and currently working at Johal & Mohiuddin, LLP, a small law firm in San Francisco. She works for two women partners, both with immigrant roots, one Indian and the other Pakistani. Tappan says that, "Women's Studies has been a great asset in my job. We do corporate work and immigration law. In our immigration work, women's issues are extremely pertinent, especially in our political asylum case work. On the corporate side, we mainly work setting up small businesses, and approx. 90% of our clients are women venturing out on their own." Tappan believes Women's Studies was "one of the best things I did in college. I always considered myself progressive and feminist, but never had to really define those terms until I was involved in the program at Sewanee. Fleshing out the ideas surrounding women's and other gender issues let me enter the world outside of Sewanee with a greater understanding of self and the way I wanted to interact with others."
Sarah Leopold is attending law school at Washington University in St. Louis.
CLASS OF 2004
Margaret Chadbourn is currently working as a reporter for a financial news agency in Washington, D.C. Margaret says that "the Women's Studies curriculum at Sewanee allowed me to closely examine how gender is shaped and it broadened my knowledge about women's perspectives, experiences, and contributions to society and culture. I feel that it allowed me to develop pro-active strategies for dealing with intersections of gender, race, and sexuality outside the classroom.
Margaret Hughes secured a summer internship (with help from Sewanee's Stephenson Internship) in the education department at the Birmingham Museum of Art. She was then hired to work in fundraising in the museum's development department. She plans to return to graduate school in American Studies in the near future. Margaret said this about her involvement with the Women's Studies Program at Sewanee: "The women's studies concentration was the best thing I did at Sewanee, because it influenced the way I thought about everything, from the way I approached my other classes in school to the way I watch a movie or read a book even today. There are few programs that reach into so many different--and so many important--areas of life; for one program to have as much impact as this is truly remarkable. My women's studies courses made me who I am today."
Molly Leatherman lived in NYC until May, 2005, working as a "family-assistant" for a financial advisor and a lawyer. She has also been volunteering with PiCASO, the Pitt County HIV/AIDS organization. PiCASO is a non-profit which provides food, rides, and counseling for HIV and AIDS clients. She really likes the people she works with, and it is in this work that her Women's Studies degree has really come into play.
Heather Platt is directing a non-profit office of the Fund for Public Interest Research in New Brunswick, New Jersey. FPIR works with progressive non-profits including the Sierra Club, the Human Rights Campaign, and State PIRG's. FPIR's campaigns range from protecting our last wilderness areas and bringing more clean renewable energy to the state to fighting for equal rights for the GLBT community. She works with a staff of anywhere from 10-30 people to do public education, hold press conferences, raise money, and lobby politicians. Heather says that " Women's Studies had a huge impact on why I chose to pursue a career dealing with progressive issues. It was great to learn the different ideologies and theories in the world of gender studies, but, more importantly, it just changed the WAY that I think. One of the principles I took away from my courses is that in order to make big change happen, you have to do something big, and I feel like that's what I've devoted my life to."
Hayley Shelton is working for Fulbright and Jaworski, LLP in Houston, Texas, in health law defense litigation as a project/litigation assistant and loves it! She also volunteers as a patient escort at the main campus of Planned Parenthood and hopes to be working soon in the teen clinic with women who are getting their first exams or STD testing. She has applied to law school for admission for fall 2006 and hopes to pursue a law degree concentrating in health/litigation law (with an emphasis on pro bono work, of course!). Hayley believes Women's Studies "has tremendously influenced my life... The attorney that hired me picked me out of three other candidates specifically because of my women's studies education. Also, the impact of women's studies has further fueled my fire for community service, and in one way or another, I have been volunteering or working with a non-profit organization since my move to Houston in 2004. Being in Texas, where sex education is slim to nil and most people are conservative, has also made me feel very lucky for having been given the opportunity to receive a Women's Studies education."
CLASS OF 2005
Caroline Howe is now working for the Lt. Governor of North Carolina- who happens to be a woman. Caroline says that "since I was forced to think through issues involving gender at Sewanee in my classes in Women's Studies, I have a much deeper appreciation and understanding of the ways that gender influences (and is influenced by) the southern culture here in North Carolina." Caroline says this about her Women's Studies experience: "The classes were so helpful in encouraging me to analyze and challenge societal norms that I had totally taken for granted prior to Sewanee. Through the classes, I met impressive people, and taking classes that were gender-focused was sort of like tapping into this wonderful support network that proved to infinitely enrich my college experience."
Riah Patterson is in Birmingham at UAB, taking pre-med courses in preparation for applying to Medical School. Although she is not sure of what area she will specialize in, she says " women's health will surely be an area of dedication." Riah is also volunteering at Birmingham's Crisis Center as a rape response advocate. She describes her work there: "I went through training last fall and now I am "on call" for 12 hour shifts several times a month. When called I meet the rape victim at the crisis center and sometimes assist the police detective in questioning. Then I go with the victim to a nurse practitioner who performs the rape kit to gain potential evidence. This volunteer work has been extremely rewarding, despite the fact that the face-to-face interaction with victims at a time when emotions are running high is incredibly hard. Still, I am grateful and proud to be involved."
Mary Hunter Rouse is currently attending law school at the University of Georgia.
Lisa Rast is enrolled in a M.A. Program in French Studies at New York University.
Betsy Swann is living in Austin, Texas, working for a real estate development company doing accounting and office management. She tutors 4 eighth grade international students on the side. She says this about the WS Program, "My concentration in Women's Studies affects every day of my life- how I view office politics, what I say when my Chinese students complain about being shorter than the lanky blondes in their class, what I wear to work, why I won't let boys pay on dates, and how I vote (just to name a few). It changed my life!"
