色花堂

Alumni Profiles

See where students from the Women's and Gender Studies Department have landed post-graduation. Select from the following stories:

• Kirsten Fedorowicz- Outreach and Marketing assistant for AdoptAClassroom.org
• Jenny McCullen and Katie Fahey- Voter's Not Politicians
• Cheyna Roth- Capitol correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
• Emily Weber- Brand Marketing and Communication Specialist for Honda Logistics
• Lindsey Bacigal- Studied at the National University of Ireland, Galway for a Master鈥檚 Global Women鈥檚 Studies: Gender, Globalization and Rights 
• Kelsey Cotton- Office Administrator at a non-profit organization for economic development
• Bridget Gibley- Graduate study at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Coordinated Master鈥檚 Degree Program for Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies and Library and Information Science
• Lena Peak- Studied at Washington University in St. Louis鈥� Brown School for a Master of Social Work, with a concentration in Transformative Sexuality Education and Empowerment 

I have used my Women's Studies courses in every course I have taken at Aquinas. In my English courses, I have focused on the role of gender-- whether that is in the author's context or the relationships between characters in the novels. Having this frame for analyzing texts has helped me study not only the texts, but also their contexts and settings on a deeper level.

Bridget A. Gibley - 2021, now a Teaching Assistant, pursuing a coordinated degree in Library Science and Women's and Gender Studies at University of Madison-Milwaukee.

Thanks to the liberal arts education, I have been encouraged to incorporate my [Women's Studies] knowledge into every class from theology and humanities to science. This interconnectedness and overlap has significantly affected my approach to conversations, research, teaching, and work. Now, I am always hyper aware of the gendered institutions in our society and am consciously trying to work against gender stereotypes and encourage people to pursue their true identity, even if it doesn't fit into gender expectations.

Nalana LaFramboise - 2021, Dance Instructor and author of At Center Line  (2016) and  Beyond Center Line  (2020), now pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in Fiction and Poetry from San Jose State University in California

My Women's Studies courses have shown me numerous examples of advocating for social change, including advocacy as a career or demanding change within an unrelated career, such as women in sports who fight for fair treatment.    

Erin Dwan - 2020, who worked in the nonprofit sector with Adopt a Classroom after graduation.

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Kirsten Fedorowicz

Kirsten Fedorowicz graduated from Aquinas in 2019, with an English major with a writing concentration and a minor in Women鈥檚 Studies. Life has had some unexpected twists for Kirsten, but she continues to welcome exciting new opportunities with open arms.

After graduation, Kirsten followed in the footsteps of her role models, including her Aunt Geri, to pursue a year of service with Quaker Voluntary Service in the Twin Cities, MN, where she worked at a local furniture bank called Bridging. According to Kirsten, here she learned how to sit through some tough conversations and push around some furniture. After working at Bridging, Kirsten was offered a salaried position as an Outreach and Marketing assistant for AdoptAClassroom.org.

When Kirsten reflects on her time at AQ, she fondly remembers writing the Senior Honors Project that became her poetry manuscipt 鈥淢ost Nights,鈥� inspired by institutional violence against women. She praises Dr. Amy Dunham Strand and Dr. Jennifer Dawson as her advisors on the project for their voices providing key perspectives and guidance when she fell too deep into the material. Another fond memory Kirsten recalls is her time studying Women, the Law, and the Courts with AQ alum Cheyna Roth. She says she thinks back to this class on a regular basis because, in Kirsten鈥檚 words, 鈥淚 don't think I actually understood how the judicial system worked before I took that class, and though I always understood that politics affects people's daily lives, this class gave me the ability to point to a specific how.鈥�

Kirsten鈥檚 advice to current Women's Studies Minors: 鈥淕et obsessed with something and run with it. The Women's Studies minor is so interdisciplinary and varied, you get the chance to look at it from a hundred different angles鈥� In a world where others want you to tone down your passions, the faculty and peers in the Women's Studies department will support you with a 鈥榊es! Tell me more鈥︹�欌�� Kirsten found things she was able to write openly and passionately about within the program, and she hopes all Women鈥檚 Studies minors are able to find their passions as well.

If Kirsten could wave a magic wand to address an issue in our society, she says that she would tackle compulsory sexuality. Similar to compulsory heterosexuality, compulsory sexuality is the assumption that all people are sexual beings. Kirsten explains that without compulsory sexuality, there would be no rape culture in our society, and that nobody would feel that they are 鈥渙wed鈥� sex. She says, 鈥淲ithout compulsory sexuality, I think we could have a more nuanced view of consent; what does it mean when the sex you said yes to is harmful? What does it mean if consent was coerced? Without compulsory sexuality, we could look at sex as it is: messy, complicated, delightful, and, most importantly, part of human life, not the center of it.鈥�

Looking forward, Kirsten's first goal is to hone her ability to tell impactful stories and to travel again. She hopes to be a tour guide for her parents in Ireland, who didn鈥檛 get a chance to visit her during her study away program there. She also plans to continue to publish poems from her manuscript 鈥淢ost Nights;鈥� one has already been published in the University of Houston鈥檚 literary journal 鈥淕lass Mountain.鈥� Kirsten鈥檚 motivation partially stems from AQ librarian Christina Radisauskus, who, after the Top Ten Sampler Reading Kirsten鈥檚 senior year, reached out to Kirsten saying, 鈥淚 hope I am someday able to purchase a book of your poetry for our library.鈥� In five years, Kirsten hopes to be on her way to publishing that book!

Written by Hayleigh Potter, Spring 鈥�21

Jenny McCullen and Katie Fahey

When you vote in the midterm elections this year, you鈥檒l see a proposed constitutional amendment -- Proposal 2 -- from the group Voters Not Politicians, a group founded and fueled by Aquinas alumnae. This group鈥檚 goal is to end political gerrymandering in Michigan, a process by which politicians draw district lines to favor one political party. If the proposal passes, the redistricting process will be in the hands of citizens, with maps being drawn by four Republicans, four Democrats, and five voters who self-identify as unaffiliated with either party. The process will occur in open and public meetings across Michigan.

For more information about Voters Not Politicians, visit their website here:  

Aquinas connections have been carried forward Proposal 2: The Executive Director of Voters Not Politicians, Katie Fahey, is an AQ alum, and so is Jenny McCullen, her executive assistant.

Katie Fahey (鈥�11), a Sustainable Business and Community Leadership double major, has always cared about politics but was never directly involved in the field. After the 2016 election, she says, she saw a lot of people saying that their voices weren鈥檛 being heard, and she started to look into why this might be. As she learned more about the closed-doors process of gerrymandering, she made a Facebook post asking if anyone would be interested in working to end gerrymandering in Michigan. Two years and over 425,000 signatures later, this proposal is on the ballot.

Jenny McCullen (鈥�18), a Sustainable Business major and Women鈥檚 Studies minor, interned for Fahey at the Michigan Recycling Coalition during her time at Aquinas. Since they were both Sustainable Business majors, they stayed in contact. McCullen says she was following along on Facebook as Fahey鈥檚 movement got started. After graduation, Fahey reached out and asked if McCullen would want to work on the campaign. McCullen, who eventually wants a career in politics, said yes.

Both Fahey and McCullen emphasize how important it is for people to understand how the redistricting process works. Fahey says, 鈥淚 had friends and family who didn鈥檛 consistently vote because they thought their votes didn鈥檛 matter. Honestly, in some ways it鈥檚 true...politicians pay people a lot of money to make some votes count less and some votes count more.鈥�

Fahey explained that the majority of state-level races are non-competitive, and when you can鈥檛 vote someone out of office, they aren鈥檛 afraid of losing votes. For example, the people of Michigan voted to repeal the emergency manager law, but it was reinstated, leading to the Flint water crisis.

McCullen says because of this, she does not feel like her voice is being heard in her district, which covers both rural and urban areas. 鈥淗ow can somebody accurately represent people in such different communities?鈥� she asks. 鈥淗aving a more efficiently functioning government is my main concern.鈥�

Voters Not Politicians has volunteers in all 83 counties of Michigan and around 12,000 small grassroots donors. McCullen said one of her favorite memories was their mini-state tour where the group was able to meet some of these volunteers and see how 鈥渇ired up鈥� they were about the initiative.

This excitement over Voters Not Politicians is not only in Michigan, however. Fahey has talked to a man in New Mexico who is running for office this year because he was inspired by their initiative. There鈥檚 also a group in Florida working against gerrymandering who have referenced Voters Not Politicians as being influential for them. These AQ grads are creating ripples all across the United States!

At this point in the campaign, there is no such thing as a typical day for McCullen and Fahey. Last week, they worked from Fahey鈥檚 house in the morning and then had interviews in the afternoon. But the week before, they traveled to talk about Voters Not Politicians with people in Detroit and Lansing. As Election Day gets closer and closer, there are many moving parts that they have to consider, but Fahey says the campaign has been nonstop for the last two years as well.

One of the major challenges faced by Voters Not Politicians is the misinformation and misleading ads opposing the ballot measure. Fahey has also been personally attacked by the opposition, which she says is difficult, especially since she is not a 鈥減olitical insider.鈥�

However, Fahey fondly recalls the moment she found out that Proposal 2 would be on the ballot. She says, 鈥淚 feel very fortunate, because I get to be the spokesperson, but there are literally thousands of people in the state who鈥檝e put their lives on hold to fight for a better future for the state.鈥�

Fahey and McCullen cite their time at Aquinas as formative in their development. Early in the campaign, Fahey called Dr. Molly Patterson, Associate Professor of Political Science, to see if she thought this sort of campaign to end gerrymandering was possible. Fahey says without Dr. Patterson鈥檚 encouragement, she might not have continued.

Fahey also says in general, the professors at Aquinas were really there for the students and were invested in their success. She says, 鈥淲hen I was at Aquinas, I realized if you wanted to do something, you could find a way to make it happen.鈥�

Current students, these women have some advice for you: understand that no one鈥檚 going to change the world for you, seek out opportunities with a 鈥測es and鈥� attitude, keep the people you know now in your corner, and always make space to listen, even when it鈥檚 difficult.

McCullen says, 鈥淎s a young person, don鈥檛 underestimate yourself.鈥�

You might even end up changing the world someday.

Written By Bridget Gibley

Cheyna Roth

Cheyna Roth graduated from 色花堂 with an English degree in 2010. This year, she returned to AQ to teach WS200: Women, the Law, and the Courts. Now, she looks back on her time at Aquinas as a student and reflects on teaching this course.

While she was an AQ student, Cheyna won the AQ Outstanding Woman Award for outstanding student. This award still means a lot to her, as 鈥淎quinas is filled with over the moon, outstanding women. To be named one of them was a real privilege.鈥�

She definitely carved out a spot for herself alongside these outstanding women. As a student, Cheyna wrote and directed 鈥淭he Jane Doe Project,鈥� a performance based on interviews with Aquinas community members about their experiences with rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Looking back, Cheyna says, 鈥淚t will likely always be in the top five most important things I鈥檒l ever do.鈥�

After graduation, Cheyna got a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law and was a prosecuting attorney for a little over a year. She realized quickly, however, that this was not what she wanted to do. 鈥淭here were parts that I liked,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 like the small amount of investigative work I was able to do, I liked fighting for victims, I liked working with law enforcement. But I missed telling stories, I didn鈥檛 like that I was only ever able to stand for one side of an issue, when, as I learned very quickly, crime is a lot more grey than black and white.鈥�

So Cheyna went back to MSU to get her Master鈥檚 degree in journalism. She now works as a Capitol correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network and freelances for NPR. She covers everything from state politics to policy to education.

Throughout this time post-graduation from AQ, Cheyna always had a goal to come back to teach. She says for years, she would mention this goal to professors she knew, saying she wanted to teach anything: 鈥淚 would have learned physics if it meant I could teach at Aquinas. Luckily, they found a class that was much more in my skill set.鈥�

This class was Women, the Law, and the Courts-- a class that examines women鈥檚 rights in America through historical, legislative, and legal perspectives. On the importance of this class, Cheyna says, 鈥淭o know our laws and the history of how our laws have treated women is to really see the progression of women鈥檚 freedom throughout the years. And as we鈥檝e gone through the course we saw history very clearly repeating itself over and over鈥� Unless we recognize those reactions in the moment and know how to respond to them, we won鈥檛 be able to progress further toward equality.鈥�

When asked how she sees AQ differently as a professor than as a student, Cheyna responded, 鈥淭he parking is easier!鈥� She goes on to describe the unique feeling of nostalgia that comes from switching roles in a situation so radically: 鈥淚 feel like I have this sort of outsider looking in perspective now. I like seeing the students run around and overhear them talking about classes and it鈥檚 interesting to see my old friends and my old self in the current students.鈥�

Cheyna has a few pieces of advice for current Women鈥檚 Studies students. 鈥淭ry everything,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f something interests you in the slightest (that isn鈥檛 harmful to yourself or others and isn鈥檛 illegal) give it a try.鈥�

鈥淕ive everything a fair shot. Keep your chin up and VOTE. Be an intelligent citizen of the world who votes and encourages everyone she knows to vote-- because we will never make any progress if we stay home on Election Day.鈥�

And her final piece of advice for busy women who will one day change the world? 鈥淎lways carry a granola bar, extra gum to share, and a pen and paper.鈥�

Written By Bridget Gibley

Emily Weber

Emily Weber (n茅e Higham) graduated from Aquinas in the spring of 2017, minoring in Women鈥檚 Studies and majoring in Interdisciplinary Communications with a Spanish emphasis.

Now, Emily is a Brand Marketing and Communication Specialist for Honda Logistics North America in Columbus, Ohio. She facilitates internal and external communication, social media and digital marketing, and oversees website development. She is recently married and an active part of a women鈥檚 running group in Columbus. As an ambassador to the Columbus Marathon and Greater Columbus Sister Cities International, Emily also went to Curitiba, Brazil this fall to run a half marathon.

There鈥檚 no slowing her down. She recently qualified for the Olympic Distance Triathlon Age Group Nationals and will be competing in summer 2019. In the future, Emily wants to pursue a Master鈥檚 degree, as well as complete a half ironman triathlon in the summer of 2020.

When asked what from the Women鈥檚 Studies program is relevant to her life now, Emily replies, 鈥淓verything.鈥� She goes on to explain, 鈥淲hat I learned in Women鈥檚 Studies has helped me understand myself, my stance politically, professionalism in my career, shown me my place in the world, and given me more confidence and self-worth than I thought I could have imagined.鈥�

Two classes that stand out to Emily are 鈥淲omen in American History鈥� with Professor Elizabeth Chamberlain and 鈥淲omen Writing Journals鈥� with Professor Pamela Dail-Whiting.  Emily took 鈥淲omen in American History鈥� during the 2016 presidential election, and the historical context was helpful to her comprehension of contemporary events. 鈥淲omen Writing Journals鈥� gave Emily the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Dail-Whiting and discuss journal entries and books Emily was reading. At the end of the semester, the students came together and presented lines from each of the journals, put together in a script. This reading is one of her favorite memories from the Women鈥檚 Studies program at Aquinas.

Are you considering a Women鈥檚 Studies minor? Emily highly recommends it: 鈥淲omen鈥檚 Studies can be used and recognized anywhere. It ignites passion and allows for learning that is increasingly applicable as time passes.鈥�

Emily continues, 鈥淔or me, the [Women鈥檚 Studies] program and the Center felt like home -- I still visit when I鈥檓 in town. I truly don鈥檛 believe I would be the person I am today without the guidance of my professors, the knowledge I gained from this program, and the wonderful community that Women鈥檚 Studies helps provide for students at Aquinas.鈥�

Lindsey Bacigal

Lindsey says that what she learned in the Women鈥檚 Studies program at Aquinas is consistently relevant in her life and in her studies at the Master鈥檚 level. While at Aquinas, she was an intern for the Jane Hibbard Idema Women鈥檚 Studies Center, and she notes that the skills she developed in that work 鈥渉ave been incredibly useful in [her] work with other organizations.鈥�

When asked what makes Aquinas鈥� Women鈥檚 Studies program so special, Lindsey cites all the opportunities it presents for students. Not only was she able to work as an intern for the Women鈥檚 Studies Center, but she also was able to complete an externship at the University of Michigan with the director of social media. Additionally, Lindsey says that in her time in the Women鈥檚 Studies program, 鈥淚 had the opportunity to meet so many inspirational individuals working for women鈥檚 rights and human rights, as a whole.鈥�

After graduation from the Master鈥檚 program, Lindsey hopes to work for an NGO or perform a year or two of service. In the more immediate future, however, Lindsey will continue to hone the skills she gained from the Women鈥檚 Studies program, as she will be writing her dissertation on the intersection of indigenous women, environmental violence, and international human rights mechanisms.

Kelsey Cotton

In 2017, Kelsey Cotton graduated from 色花堂 with a major in Spanish and a minor in Women鈥檚 Studies. After graduation, she served a four-month term as an AmeriCorps service volunteer, facilitating service learning on an animal sanctuary in Southern Oregon. She currently works full time as an Office Administrator at a non-profit organization for economic development in Aurora, Illinois.

In her post-graduate life, however, Kelsey says, 鈥淭here is not a Women鈥檚 Studies course that I took whose content I do not think about every day.鈥� She speaks about the uniqueness of the Women鈥檚 Studies program at 色花堂, saying she has never encountered two students who took the same combination of courses for their Women鈥檚 Studies minor, so each graduate has a distinct skill set.

There are three courses Kelsey credits especially with shaping her perspective on the world. 鈥淲omen, Girls, and Leadership鈥� with Dr. Haworth-Hoeppner informed her about the barriers to women obtaining leadership roles--how to identify them and how to break them. Dr. Wickering鈥檚 鈥淎rab Women鈥� course changed Kelsey鈥檚 view of femininity, sexuality, menstruation, covering, and polygamy from the perspective of Arab culture and her own culture. The course 鈥淲omen in American History鈥� with Professor Chamberlain gave Kelsey the opportunity to learn about the intentional marginalization of women, especially women of color.

Kelsey speaks fondly about the Women鈥檚 Studies faculty at Aquinas, saying that it is clear they truly care about their students, in and out of the classroom. Looking back at her time at Aquinas, she remembers one day fondly, prefacing her memory by saying that no faculty or staff in the Women鈥檚 Studies program ever projected or enforced their personal and/or political opinions in or out of the classroom in any capacity:  On the day of the 2016 Presidential Election, all of the Women鈥檚 Studies faculty came to classes in pantsuits, ready to support the discussion of a woman president. Then, after the election, faculty created spaces for students who were feeling unsafe, unsupported, marginalized, or simply upset, to experience support. This intentional support 鈥渕ade all the difference to me as a Women鈥檚 Studies student,鈥� Kelsey says.

Almost a year after her graduation, Kelsey is happy with her choice to minor in Women鈥檚 Studies. She recalls how the Women鈥檚 Studies minor affected her Aquinas experience: 鈥淏efore pursuing the WS minor I definitely felt aimless as far as my degree was concerned; but...the WS minor empowered me to take courses that inspired me and choose projects that allowed me to research my areas of interest.鈥�

And in terms of going forward? Kelsey notes, 鈥淚 learned so much through this minor that it makes me excited to continue my study of women, marginalized communities, gender, and sexuality in some capacity at the graduate level.鈥�

Bridget Gibley

Bridget Gibley graduated from Aquinas in Spring 2020 with a major in English Literature and minors in Spanish, Irish Studies, and Women鈥檚 Studies. Although Gibley鈥檚 graduation was not what she expected, given the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been surprised with what life has given her since graduation.

In Fall 2020, Bridget began graduate study at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Coordinated Master鈥檚 Degree Program for Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies and Library and Information Science, with an expected completion date of 2023. She received the opportunity to serve as a Teaching Assistant for an Introduction to Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies course. Though all of her classes are online due to COVID, she has loved getting to explore a new city and school during her free time. She clearly has a very full plate and is a very motivated and passionate woman! 

With her Master鈥檚 in hand, Bridget鈥檚 goal is to become a librarian -- ideally, as she says, in youth services in a public library, 鈥減romoting representation and inclusivity in programming for children so they have a safe, welcoming space to develop and grow.鈥� Her introductory classes at UW have addressed the changes libraries have been making to become more inclusive, raising questions such as: Who is left out when you need documentation to get a library card? What happens when different groups see uniformed security guards? Bridget finds these questions essential to ensuring that libraries become accessible to all. 

When reflecting on her time at Aquinas, especially her involvement with Women鈥檚 Studies, Bridget has a ton to say! To current and future Women鈥檚 Studies Minors, she says that you should get to know the WS faculty and staff. Not only do you learn a lot from the courses offered in the program, but also from the events that the Center hosts and the conversations that can be had with the faculty and staff talking about feminist issues and current events. Bridget particularly remembers adjunct professor and alumna Cheyna Roth, who is profiled here. Bridget was able to take Roth鈥檚 special topics class on Women, the Law, and the Courts, and she appreciated the way that the class would discuss barriers to progress for women. As Bridget recalls, Roth would ask the class what they could do about the barriers, but wouldn鈥檛 let them say, 鈥渏ust burn it down and start over.鈥� Instead, Roth got them to think about what they can do to push for progress even when a revolution isn鈥檛 likely or possible. 

Bridget also wants to welcome new Minors to the Women鈥檚 Studies Center! As a WS intern during her time at Aquinas, she looks back on how fun it was to have other Minors come into the Center, just to hang out and chat in the very cozy space. 

When asked about her favorite memory from being a Women鈥檚 Studies Minor, Bridget finds it very hard to choose, but she recalls two in particular: Her first is from her first semester, right after the 2016 presidential election, when she was added to different email threads from WS students, faculty, and staff, who were all asking how they could give their support. Ultimately, they had an impromptu potluck dinner. Bridget says, 鈥淚 was a freshman and didn鈥檛 really know a lot of people at that point, so going to Michelle DeRose鈥檚 house and having soup and warm conversation, especially in that week, was very significant for me鈥� and was one of the main reasons that she ultimately declared her minor. 

Her other favorite memory is from the fall of her senior year when Margaret Atwood鈥檚 The Testaments was published. The Women鈥檚 Studies Center and the English Department co-hosted an event where they had a day-long reading marathon of The Testaments in Donnelly Center. Everyone showed up early, got their books, and took turns reading late into the night to finish the book. She says: 鈥淚 worked at the Women鈥檚 Studies Center and was an English Literature major, so this event included basically all of my favorite people on campus!鈥� 

In response to the question, 鈥淚f you could wave your activist magic wand and address a feminist issue in our society, what would it be and why?鈥� Bridget also finds this to be an impossible question, but she feels that if every WS grad answers this question, they can all divide and conquer to address all of the issues. For Bridget鈥檚 answer, she believes that 鈥渢he way our current capitalistic society functions is the root of a lot of feminist issues.鈥� As she explains, capitalism overlaps with racism and sexism, such that people and their value are linked to what they can produce, a dynamic that marginalizes many groups in our society. Bridget feels that this dynamic has been even more pronounced during the pandemic. 

Lastly, Bridget鈥檚 book recommendations for us! Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde and Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid are two that stand out to her when thinking about this question. 

We miss Bridget in the Women鈥檚 Studies Center and wish her well in her graduate study!

Lena Peak

For our November 2020 Alumni Profile, we are so grateful to be able to catch up with Lena Peak! Lena graduated from Aquinas in 2018 with a Psychology major and Women鈥檚 Studies minor and is now attending Washington University in St. Louis鈥� Brown School. She expects to graduate in 2022 with a Master of Social Work, with a concentration in Transformative Sexuality Education and Empowerment.

When we asked Lena what her life has been like since graduating from Aquinas, she gives a great one-word answer: non-linear. She had a clear path leaving Aquinas, but after three unsuccessful graduate school application cycles, she began to explore new opportunities, such as being a live-in nanny in Italy and Puerto Rico, and then returning to her family home during the pandemic, before ultimately landing at Wash U鈥檚 Brown School. She explains: 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be happier with where I ended up, but before this year I struggled with feelings of failure for falling short of my own narrow expectations and not conforming to society鈥檚 linear timeline.鈥� She sees this as a great reminder that life may not always take you the route that you want to go, but you will end up in the right place eventually.

Now that Lena has had these circuitous experiences before finding the right grad program, her five-year plan is more flexible than she had originally planned. She says her biggest goal for the next five years is that she is prioritizing herself and living a life she is proud of. Her frequent mantra is 鈥淚t matters less what I鈥檓 doing, and matters more that I鈥檓 the one doing it鈥� -- empowering words for all of us, considering how turbulent the world has been recently.

At the same time, Lena also has some ideas for the future, such as pursuing a PhD program or becoming a sex educator in her local community -- but ultimately, only time will tell where her journey will take her.

Reflecting back on her time as a Women鈥檚 Studies minor at Aquinas, Lena says that her favorite memory was of Susan Haworth-Hoeppner acting out a turkey mating call in class and that the quote that has stuck with her and that she keeps coming back to is one from Amy Dunham Strand, who said 鈥淏e gentle with yourself,鈥� something we all need to remind ourselves to do sometimes.

For current students minoring in Women鈥檚 Studies, she shares that the concepts that you are learning in your Women鈥檚 Studies courses may feel like an awakening, sometimes validating and affirming, but it also can feel that everything is being turned on its head. She wants you to remember that this is normal and to remain curious. However, she also advises that 鈥渋t鈥檚 also important to recognize that the same academic spaces that have expanded our worldview can also be spaces that produce and perpetuate systems of oppression.鈥� Women鈥檚 Studies will offer you a framework to approach the world critically, but you can also explore new frameworks as you find them.

Relevant to these ideas about the importance of multiple theoretical frameworks are Lena鈥檚 thoughts about economic systems of oppression. When Lena was asked, 鈥淚f you could wave your activist magic wand and address a feminist issue in our society, what would it be and why?鈥� she replied:

Abracadabra, hocus-pocus, banish capitalism from our locus! I鈥檓 writing this on Halloween, so thank you for letting me indulge in that tomfoolery. In all seriousness, we can trace much of this nation鈥檚 systemic oppression (racism, sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia, etc.) to our roots in capitalism and colonialism. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a devastating illustration of just how badly capitalism works in this country. Billionaires have gotten enormously richer, while average Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Capitalism is the thread that weaves all forms of oppression together.

Lastly, Lena left us with a couple book recommendations, so make sure to check them out!

Modern Mothering: What Daughters Say They Need from Their Mothers Regarding Sexual Development and Its Impact on Their Self Worth by Joyce T. McFadden & Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski, PhD.

Thank you again to Lena for sharing her post-Aquinas life - we miss you greatly and wish you the best in your future endeavors!

After taking my Women's Studies courses, I feel as if many facets of my mind have been opened, and I have become much more understanding and empathetic to other groups and beliefs. As a dual sociology and psychology major, my women鈥檚 studies courses have greatly impacted my ability to learn and understand these subjects from many different viewpoints and will also impact my future abilities when working with other individuals.

Jayme Brizzolara - 2018, now a full-time youth development specialist in the residential program at D.A. Blodgett St. John's

Before I knew I had the beliefs of a feminist but now I have the knowledge of the history behind those beliefs. Not all women are the same, but as women we must stick together to create a better outcome for us all.

Adrianna Triche - 2018, now pursuing her master鈥檚 degree in library science at Wayne State University

My Women鈥檚 Studies minor has influenced my worldview dramatically. I see the world in a much more intersectional light. Nothing is isolated; our identities are intertwined. I have also applied the critical thinking skills that I've learned through Women鈥檚 Studies to my communication and business classes to take my analysis a step further.

Ellyse Hall (VanderKamp) - 2017, now a full-time marketing specialist at Priority Health