Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Women’s Colleges Cultivate Leadership

Three UM-related women’s colleges cultivate leadership, by Nicole Burdakin

"Though greatly outnumbered by coeducational institutions in the U.S., women’s colleges produce a higher percentage of female graduates who go on to become political and business leaders.

“I chose to attend a women's college because of the leadership opportunities that it would provide. I knew it would be empowering to be surrounded by so many successful female students and leaders,” said Sarah Williams, a senior studying Elementary Education at Columbia College.

Williams found many opportunities to lead and to plan events at Columbia, including service projects both on campus and in the community alongside peer student groups and community groups. “My experience at a women's college showed me that I truly am a leader.” "

Continue reading . . .

Fine Arts Major Shares Her Story

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The Top Five Myths About Attending an All-Women's College

The other day I read a blog post on The Huffington Post written by Nora Turriago, a Student at Smith College:  The Top Five Myths About Attending an All-Women's College and wanted to share it here today.

Calling All STEM Girls . . . Super STEM Internships are Found at Women’s Colleges

If you're a STEM girl looking at colleges, here's yet another powerful reason for considering a women's college. 

In addition to top-notch academics and empowering learning environments, colleges for women provide their students with lots of opportunity, including getting hands-on research experience. 

In my recent Huffington Post blog post, I blogged about the summer internships STEM students from various women’s colleges are enjoying. Below is one of the student stories.

Mariem Ayadi '16 is an engineering and computer science major at Smith College, Northampton, MA.

Photo Credit: The Database Systems and Information Management (DIMA) Technische Universität Berlin

Photo Caption: After two consecutive internships at KAYAK software, Mariem's interest in computer science has grown tremendously. This summer, she decided to try out the research field. Thanks to the Smith College PRAXIS grant, Mariem is currently in Berlin, Germany. Smith College's Praxis program provides an opportunity for every Smith student to undertake an internship funded by the college. She joined the Database Systems and Information Management (DIMA) group at the Technical University of Berlin. Mariem is working among the Stratophere (soon to be renamed Flink) team. The project is an open source big data analytics platform that recently joined the Apache Software Foundation. In the beginning of June, thanks to the Google for Education, Women in Tech Conference and Travel Grants, Mariem was offered the opportunity to attend DevoxxUK, a major Java programming conference in London.

Other student summer STEM internships referenced in my blog post include:

• Lia Poulos '16 -- a physics and computer science major at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
• Kate Bussey '15 -- a chemistry major at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN
• Casandra Conigliaro '15 -- a mathematics major at Alverno College, Milwaukee, WI
• Shacora Rorie '16 -- a biology major at Bennett College, Greensboro, NC
• Caitlin Kent '15 -- a biology and chemistry major at the University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT
• Paige Atkins '15 -- a biology major at Brenau University Women's College, Gainesville, GA
• Najja Ellis '15 -- a mathematics and electrical engineering major at Spelman College, Atlanta, GA
• Rebecca Rubinstein '15 -- a biology and Spanish major at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
• Mary Kate Hussey '15 -- a chemistry major at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN
• Lorita Agu '15 -- a biochemistry major at Converse College, Spartanburg, SC
• Ning Xie '15 -- a computer science major at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
• Mackenzie Beyer '15 -- a chemistry and forensic science major at Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA
• Tinodaishe Antoinette Mandebvu '16 -- a biochemistry major and business administration minor at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN
• Brittany Dunkerly '15 -- a biology major at Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, MD

To learn about these summer STEM internships, continue reading here.

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Project Runway: Dom Gratuated from a Women's College

Learn more about Dom's alma mater, Moore College of Art & Design located in Philadelphia, PA. Or read a Huffington Post blog post I wrote, Project Runway Season 12 Winner Dom Offers College Advice to Women Interested in Fashion Design.

You also can purchase a book about Moore College.

Book Description:

"For more than 160 years, Moore College of Art & Design, the nation’s first and only visual arts college for women, has led the way in educating women for careers in art and design. Moore began in 1848 as the Philadelphia School of Design for Women when philanthropist Sarah Peter founded the school to educate women in the design arts and provide opportunities for employment. The first students worked in the textile, wallpaper, and other factories of Philadelphia’s industrial boom. The school’s influence on early-American art and design was realized by members of the Red Rose Girls and the Philadelphia Ten. Other Moore graduates include the first women to design a United States postage stamp, to master the art of mezzotype, to serve as art director of an American advertising agency, and to design fabric for an automobile interior. This innovation and influence continues today through Moore’s bachelor of fine arts degree for women, graduate and continuing education programs, and the Galleries at Moore."

Photo of Physics Students Testing the Ignition of a Car in the 1920s . . . Guess Which Women’s College They Attend

I'll give you a hint. The college is located in Massachusetts. Click here for the answer.

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Photo Credit: Amber Griffith

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Women’s College Alumna Named Designer of the Month by College Fashionista

Meet Satya Twena ’05 from Wellesley College!

“ . . . Twena majored in psychology and women’s studies and played varsity soccer at Wellesley, and went on to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design. She was working for an interior design company in New York City in 2010 when she took a hat-making class.

Making hats for fun—and then for a purpose, when her mother was in chemotherapy and lost her hair—became something of an obsession for Twena. She started selling hats from her apartment and a friend’s boutique, but soon discovered she couldn’t keep up with demand by hand-making each one. She found a venerable factory in Manhattan called Makins that still made hats largely by hand and could handle the volume she needed.” . . . Continue reading here.

Receiving a Full Scholarship This Gates Millennium Scholar Decides to Attend a Women’s College

Meet Makiyah McArthur, interested in becoming a Geriatric Neurosurgeon. She’s decided to attend Hollins University. Congratulations Makiyh!

Read her amazing story here or learn more about Hollins University.

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Women's Colleges Encourage You to Dream . . .

Yea, the two seniors from Stephens College (Madeline Carl and Meredith Jacob) arrived in Hawaii . . . completing their 50 States in 50 Days adventure! Learn more about how their dream came true -- visit their Facebook page.

US Airways In-Flight Magazine Features a Women's College

Douglass Residential College is featured in the US Airways in-flight magazine . . . might Douglass be a good fit for you? Learn more by visiting the college Web-site.

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“America the Beautiful” is Written by a Women’s College Alumna

Meet, Katharine Lee Bates, author of the iconic song and also professor and 1880 alumna of Wellesley College.

From Wikipedia: Wellesley College is a private women's liberal-arts college in the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States, west of Boston.

       

         Happy 4th of July!!!!!

Seventeen Magazine Honored This Women’s College Student . . .

. . . by featuring her story on the cover of the magazine. Meet, Emily-Anne Rigal '16 from Barnard College, creator of We Stop Hate.

From Wikipedia: Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, it has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900.
 
"Barnard women change the world and the way we think about it," says Barnard College.

Might Barnard be right for you? Learn more about Barnard by visiting their Web site. 

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Women’s College Alumna is Changing Major League Baseball

"Meet the Woman Who's Changing Baseball - As baseball's only female announcer, Renel Brooks-Moon scores big with San Francisco Giants fans.

Growing up in a Northern California family of baseball nuts, Renel Brooks-Moon spent many a weekend cheering at Oakland A's or San Francisco Giants games. But she didn't realize how far fandom would take her until 2000, when she was working as a morning radio show host and local sports correspondent. That's when the Giants tapped Brooks-Moon—and her booming, throaty voice—to be the ballpark's public address announcer. She's the only woman in Major League Baseball holding the coveted position (and the third ever in the sport's history to do it full-time)."

Continue reading here.

Renel Brooks-Moon graduated from Mills College. Mills College is located in Oakland, CA. To learn more about Mills College, visit the college Web site.

Women’s College Quiz: Which College in VA was the First College to Name a Woman President?

Yet, another first for women's colleges! YEA!!!

I'll give you a hint, this happened in 1901.

Click here to learn the answer.

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Pioneering Astrophysicist and NASA Astronaut Shares Appreciation for Women-Only Environment with Student Leaders

The extra edge a STEM girls receives when deciding to attend a women's college . . .
 
"A pioneering astronaut and international hero, Melroy graduated from Wellesley with degrees in physics and astronomy. After being commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and becoming the second woman to become a test pilot, Melroy joined NASA as an astronaut. She has served as pilot on two flights (STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002), both of which traveled to the International Space Station. On the STS-92 Discovery, Melroy became just the third woman to pilot the space shuttle. She has logged over 562 hours in space. Melroy has received numerous military honors including the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal and First Oak Leaf Cluster, as well as the Wellesley Alumnae Achievement Award. She also currently serves as a Wellesley College trustee.

In her remarks during the award ceremony on June 5, reported by NCCWSL, Melroy encouraged the college leaders to seek out a women-only environment at some point in their lives as she did at Wellesley, where, in her words, the College “made it demonstrably clear that anyone who said women aren’t as good at math or science or leading people was ridiculous.” She talked about leadership, and the importance of seeking to become a better leader over the course of one’s lifetime. “People think you’re born a leader or you’re not. I’m here to tell you that’s absolutely not the case,” she said." 

Continue reading here.

The Benefits of a Women's College

From the Web site of Saint Mary's College:

“By all accounts, there is a high rate of student satisfaction at women's colleges. Nine out of 10 women's college graduates give their colleges high marks for fostering self-confidence. More than three-quarters of women's college graduates continue their involvement with their alma mater as trustees, mentors, class agents, intern employers, recruiters, etc. It's difficult to say who is "right" for women's colleges and who isn't. Just about everyone can benefit from the supportive atmosphere they provide. In the end, it's largely a matter of personal preference.”

Continue reading here.

Photo Credit: Brianne Michaels, the 2014 Valedictorian from Saint Mary's College

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10 Awesome Girl-Power Songs

"From mocking the sexist superficiality of our society to celebrating financial independence, here, for no particular reason other than that they rock, are 10 of the greatest feminist anthems of all times—inspiring, inquiring, and provocative. So plug in your iPod and go conquer the world. It's yours for the taking."

Continue reading and listen to all 10 songs here.

Might you have a favorite or two? Might you have a suggestion to add to the list?

Summer Fun for This Biology Major . . .

Women’s colleges are known for getting their students the best internships. For example, Saint Mary's College located in Notre Dame, IN.

“How fun is it that “Jungles” is the last name of this biology major? Kylie Jungles ’16 is part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Research Experience at Purdue. She's researching plant responses to climate change.”

Learn more about Saint Mary's College or learn more about their biology major here!

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More Summer Fun for These Women's College Students

"Tavia VanZuilen '16 is one of two student research assistants (along with Sharita Dickerson '14) who are working with faculty member Tamsie Ringler in Latvia this month. While there, Tamsie is serving as co-director of the 7th International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art (ICCCIA)."

Learn more!

Women's Colleges Offer the Best Research Opportunities for Women Interested in STEM

"Stephanie Yang '15 and lab partner Kai Wang '15 are spending the summer conducting research on polypyridyl Ruthenium complexes in Sharon Burgmayer's lab on campus."

Learn more!

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Congratulations to the new Miss New Jersey, Cierra Kaler-Jones, a student at a women's college

Meet Cierra Kaler-Jones recently crowned Miss New Jersey 2014. Currently a Junior at Douglass Residential College, check out her LinkedIn profile.
 
Here’s yet another example of The Douglass Difference in play! Read my Huffington Post blog post Graduating College Women Talk About "TheDouglass Difference" for additional examples.

Douglass Residential College, located in New Brunswick, NJ is the women’s college within Rutgers University.

The college has a strong alumnae organization with the mission “To provide ongoing financial, programming, and communications support to Douglass College, her students and her alumnae. We encourage and promote the educational experience and leadership opportunities at Douglass College that are uniquely inherent in a women’s college.” Learn more here.

Learn more about this women’s college by visiting the Douglass College Web site or on Wikipedia.
 

Important Message for Girls Interested in STEM

“Attending an all-girls high-school or college can keep women on the technology track, a panel of women investors and executives said at Bloomberg’s Next Big Thing Summit today.

The panelists at the Women & Tech Next Wave session in Sausalito, California, said that being in a same-sex academic environment erased some of the stereotypes and stigmas that prevent girls from pursuing a passion for technology.

“It makes you realize how important it is to look at the environment we create in our schools,” said Bahija Jallal, who heads up MedImmune, a biotechnology company that was acquired by AstraZeneca Plc.”

Continue reading here.

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(Electric cars can now “plug in and charge up” at this women’s college charging station installed last month.)

Women’s College Quote About Sisterhood

"One word will forever stick with us - Sisterhood. No matter what we are going through, each one of us knows we have sisters we can call on." 
 - Arnisha White, Senior Class President

Arnisha graduated last month from Converse College with a BS degree in Business Administration (with a concentration in Human Resources and a minor in Music: viola). Check out her LinkedIn profile.

Converse College is a liberal arts women's college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. To learn more about the college, visit Converse College's Web site.

Congratulations Arnisha!!!!

Memorable 2014 Graduation Images From Women's Colleges

Check out the other memorable photos on my Huffington Post blog post here!

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Check Out These Women Entrepreneurs – All Graduates of a Women’s College

Yesterday, my blog post was about the perfect match between women entrepreneurs and women’s colleges. Today I’m sharing more success stories, this time from Spelman College.

Continue reading here.

Spelman College  is a historically black liberal arts college for women located in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more by visiting Spelman’s Web site.

Here's a video that I know you will enjoy. I call it The Joy of Being Accepted to Spelman College!

Women Entrepreneurs and Women’s Colleges, A Perfect Match!

Check out my Huffington Post blog posts about women entrepreneurs who graduated from a women’s college.

• Women as Music Producers: The Movement

• Tessa Ann Taylor, an Up and Coming Twenty-Something High Tech Entrepreneur, Shares Her Story and Offers Insights to STEM Girls

• Project Runway Season 12 Winner Dom Offers College Advice to Women Interested in Fashion Design

If you're a college-bound high school girl who also would like to become an entrepreneur, I encourage you to consider colleges for women!

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Graduating College Women Talk About "The Douglass Difference"

Published on The Huffington Post, here's my latest blog post.

On May 17, 2014, Margaret Frimpong, Gabrielle Rossi, Dawn Angelicca Barcelona, Jenae Keith, and Khoobi Gangdev graduated from Douglass Residential College along with 439 other women. These graduates joined a long list of alumnae (more than 36,000) since its founding in 1918.

Douglass alumnae who have gone on to have rewarding lives and fruitful careers include Patricia Smith Campbell '63, inventor of the transdermal patch; Carol Tecla Christ '66, president emerita of Smith College; Janet Evanovich '65, NY Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series; Irene Etkin Goldman '65, advocate for Human Rights, Coalition for Peace Action in Princeton, NJ; and Sandra Harding '56, feminist philosopher of science.

The future of these new graduates also is bright. I say this because their alma mater, like other women's colleges, prepared them for success (regardless of their career ambitions). All of these young women possess skills employers are demanding today: written and oral communication; decision-making; critical-thinking; analytical, interpersonal, and research skills. As a former recruiter, I know this is music to the ears of many companies that want these very skills and find them difficult to get.

I believe it is the "Douglass Difference" that makes these graduates unique and why, if I were recruiting today, I'd be making a special effort to recruit from women's colleges. See for yourself. 

In this blog post, I've included a bit about their backgrounds and also provided a link to their on-line profile. (This way, you'll be able to see how accomplished these women are.) I've also asked Gabrielle, Jenae, Margaret, Khoobi, and Dawn to share what "The Douglass Difference" means to them.

Continue reading . . .

Women's College Quote (from a Senior Class President)

"One word will forever stick with us - Sisterhood. No matter what we are going through, each one of us knows we have a sisterhood we can call on." - Arnisha White, Senior Class President, Converse College.

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Graduates of Women’s Colleges Go On To Become Awesome Role Models

Meet Gloria Steinem, graduate of Smith College.

Rossalyn Warren on Upworthy wrote: “Gloria Steinem: badass feminist activist who has worked tirelessly to fight for women's rights. Hear a little about how she became one of the leading women behind the movement, and let her serve as a reminder there's still a lot of work to be done.”

Continue reading Rossalyn’s blog post (“Feminist History Lesson: Who Gloria Steinem Is And Why She's An Awesome Role Model”) and watch the video on Gloria Steinem.

Learn more about Ms Steinem via Wikipedia.

Learn more about Smith College by visiting the college Web site.

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Quiz: How do you grade college experience?

Erin Wissler’s commencement speech, “Quiz: How do you grade college experience?” is one I’m sure you will want to read. Erin majored in chemistry and minored in theology at The College of Saint Benedict (CSB).

This year, 495 women graduated from CSB.Check out CSB’s commencement photo gallery. 

The College of Saint Benedict is a women's colleges that is connected to a men's college, Saint John's University. To learn more about the college, visit the college Web site. 

Additional information also can be found on Wikipedia: "The College of Saint Benedict, for women, and Saint John's University, for men, are partnered liberal arts colleges respectively located in St. Joseph and Collegeville, Minnesota, USA." -- Continue reading.

Crazy Cool Commencement Caps and the Women Who Designed Them

Here's my latest HuffPost blog post: "Crazy Cool Commencement Caps and the Women Who Designed Them."

This one was so much fun to write. And I even challenged the college's Class of 2015. Learn about the challenge and/or read my blog post here.

Here's one of the caps included in the blog post.

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Women's Colleges Rock!

The joy of graduating from a women's college! The painted rock, found on the campus of Hollins University, sums it up pretty well. Ah, the feeling of accomplishment!

Congratulations Hollins Class of 2014!

From Wikipedia – “Hollins University is a four-year private institution of higher education located on a 475-acre campus on the border of Roanoke and Botetourt counties in the U.S. state of Virginia.”

To learn more about this women's college, visit the Hollins' Web site.

Memorial Day 2014

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Women’s Colleges at the Forefront of Public Service

Several women’s college have joined The Women in Public Service Project in their commitment to “to building the efficacy and leadership capacity of women worldwide with the goal of achieving 50 percent representation of women in all spheres of public service by 2050 (“50 × 50”).”
 
“Mount Holyoke College, Simmons College and Smith College are proud to co-host “Reconstructing Societies in the Wake of Conflict: Transitional Justice and Economic Development,” a two-week Institute of the Women in Public Service Project (WPSP). The Institute will bring together emerging women leaders, primarily from Asia, who are working to rebuild their communities and promote sustainable economic livelihoods following political violence and human rights violations. This intensive program, in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, is scheduled for May 25–June 6, 2014.”

This is what the President of Mount Holyoke has to say about the conference:

“Mount Holyoke is pleased to join with Simmons and Smith to host this Institute, which aligns so closely with the historic mission of women’s colleges,” said Mount Holyoke President Lynn Pasquerella. “We are honored to have the opportunity to bring together emerging and established leaders in politics and public service from around the world with faculty, alumnae, and students from the three institutions, and we are sure that the insights, experience, and wisdom the delegates will bring to our campuses will inform our thinking for years to come.”

Women's colleges are leading the way in all areas, isn’t it time you consider attending a women’s college?

Learn more about Mount Holyoke College, Simmons College, and Smith College.

Women’s Colleges, Supporting Your Dreams

Here's my recent Huffington Post blog post: Their Dream Becomes a Reality: 50 States in 50 Days.

Meet Madeline Carl and Meredith Jacob, two college filmmakers who are traveling 50 states in 50 days by car. Although some say this trip is impossible, these two Stephens College seniors weren't listening to any naysayers as they recently embarked on their journey. Their mission: "to collect stories and inspire people to achieve those seemingly impossible goals," while capturing their journey on film.

These college roommates are determined to prove that their trip is possible and along the way inspire others to follow their dreams. They have the full support of their college.

Continue reading.

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Women’s College Traditions: Welcoming New Alumnae

Colleges for women are fantastic. Yes, you’ll have four great years, but the fun really starts upon graduation.

One benefit of attending a women’s college, often not recognized in the college search process, but still powerful none the less is sisterhood; life-time sisterhood.

At Mount Holyoke College, the newest alumnae are welcomed by, in this photograph, the class of 1964, receiving class-animal-print scarves. What a GREAT tradition!

Women's College Tradition: Closing of the Circle

"Alumnae and students are likely familiar with the Opening of the Circle, an event which occurs for first-year students as they begin their Saint Mary's College experience and friendships. A circle is a symbol for relationships and love. The Closing of the Circle signifies the end of students' time here. . . . There are 273 students in the Class of 2014 representing 27 states and two countries other than the U.S. (Bolivia and Peru)."

Saint Mary's College is a private women's Catholic college, sister school of the University of Notre Dame, located in Notre Dame, IN. To learn more about Saint Mary's College, visit their Web site.