STEM Women Thrive at Women’s Colleges

Meet Hye-Jin Yun '15, a Neuroscience and Behavior major from San Francisco, CA as she shares her story:

"At Barnard, anything is possible. Although Organic Chemistry is notorious for its difficulty, it turned out be my favorite class at Barnard. Not only did Professor Rojas engage us with colorful chalks and big molecular models, but he also recited poetry in class to incorporate the liberal arts education. He was also very accessible outside the classroom, holding five office hours per week. Through this class, I’ve gained something greater than just learning the science. I’ve learned to be resilient and courageous, as I had to be patient and determined to learn a new science language."

Check out Barnard College to see if Barnard is right for you as you launch your STEM career!
 

Women’s College Rock! Ask Me How!®

It's College Fair Time!

If you missed Converse College at S. Pointe College Fair in Rock Hill, SC here’s a photograph. Pictured are Susan '80 & Sarah Marion '08 – love seeing Mom and daughter talking about their Alma mater.

Learn more about Converse College here or read a past HuffPost blog post of mine (about a Converse student, Jordy Taylor): "How This Shark-Loving, Lacrosse Player Found Her Joy at a Women's College."

Meryl Streep Shares the Power of Attending a Women’s College

Award-winning actress, Meryl Streep shares her thoughts about the power of attending a single-sex college in this article, “25 Famous Women on Their College Lives.”

Meryl Streep, Vassar 1971
“In high school ... I wanted to learn how to be appealing. So I studied the character I imagined I wanted to be — that of the generically pretty high school girl. I researched her deeply, that is to say shallowly, in Vogue, in Seventeen, and in Mademoiselle magazines. I tried to imitate her hair, her lipstick, her lashes, the clothes of the lithesome, beautiful and generically appealing high school girls that I saw in those pages ... I adjusted my natural temperament, which tends to be slightly bossy, a little opinionated, loud, a little loud, full of pronouncements and high spirits, and I willfully cultivated softness, agreeableness, a breezy, natural sort of sweetness even shyness, if you will, which was very, very, very effective on the boys. The girls didn’t buy it [but] I had actually convinced myself that I was this person ... a girl who laughed a lot at every stupid thing every boy said and who lowered her eyes at the right moment and deferred, who learned to defer when the boys took over the conversation ... I got to Vassar, which 43 years ago was a single-sex institution ... and I made some quick but lifelong and challenging friends. With their help outside of any competition for boys my brain woke up. I got up and I got outside myself and I found myself again. I didn’t have to pretend. I could be goofy, vehement, aggressive, and slovenly and open and funny and tough and my friends let me. I didn’t wash my hair for three weeks once. They accepted me like the Velveteen Rabbit.”  — Barnard Commencement Speech, 2010

Continue reading here.

While Vassar is no longer a women's college, Barnard College is!
 

Women’s College Rock! Ask Me How!®

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Women's College Quote from a Studio Arts Major

"The drive to excel is contagious, and we're all pushing each other to strive for more. Saint Mary's is where you can achieve things you never knew you could. You'll feel like you can go out into the world upon graduation and do something incredible." --- Chelsea Young '13, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Studio Art, Saint Mary's College

Chelsea is now a MFA Candidate & Graduate Teaching Assistant at Michigan State University.

Saint Mary's College located in Notre Dame, IN. Facebook.

Women's Colleges Rock!

The Autumn Splendor at Women’s Colleges

Residing in New Jersey, I’m enjoying all that October has to offer, including beautiful fall foliage. 

For today’s blog post, I’ll share with you a photograph taken by Rebecca Zenefski that captures fall foliage beautifully. 

Rebecca graduated from St. Catherine University in 2010 with a BS, Exercise and Sport Science. She’s a varsity assistant volleyball coach at a local high school and also a free lance photographer: By Rebecca Studios LLC. You also can catch her on Facebook here.

 

St. Catherine University is a women’s college located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Learn more about the college here.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Women College Alumnae, From the Class of 1964, Raised Over 1 Million for their Beloved College!

Sweet Briar College’s Class of 1964 decided to do so for their 50th anniversary! It’s the Sweet Sisterhood in action  . . .

"Sweet Briar College has one million reasons to say thank you to the Class of 1964. Well, technically, it has $1,039,164.64 worth of reasons to be grateful. That’s how much money class members raised for the College in celebration of their 50th Reunion, the largest Reunion gift in Sweet Briar’s history.

The official announcement was made at the celebration luncheon during Reunion weekend on May 31, 2014, 50 years to the day since the Class of 1964 crossed the graduation stage. They celebrated the milestone by once again donning caps and marching into the crowded Fitness and Athletics Center."

“We got into it,” V.M. Del Greco Galgano said. “People wore white gloves, we marched in to the bagpiper, and we all wore funny mortarboards. We were a little relieved we had made it to the weekend, and we were ready to have fun!”

Continue reading here.

How sweet is that?

Congratulations to the Class of 1964!


                                Might Sweet Briar College Be Right for YOU? 
                             You'll Only Know If You Schedule a Campus Visit!

 

 
                                              Women's Colleges Rock!!

Women’s College STEM Alumna Recognized for Breast Cancer Research

Meet Dr. Anya Alayev who graduated in 2003 from Stern College for Women.

“Dr. Anya Alayev recently won an award for her work in shutting down the mTOR signaling pathways that cause uncontrolled cell proliferation . . .

“It’s not the first time Alayev’s work has been recognized. She was also awarded a National Cancer Center post-doctoral fellowship grant for 2012-14.

Originally from Moldova, Alayev graduated with a degree in biology from Stern College for Women in 2003. She received a PhD from YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the field of Developmental and Molecular Biology in 2010. Alayev has been a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Marina Holz’s lab at Stern College since 2011.”

Continue reading here.

Congratulations Dr. Alayev!!!!!

Wordless Weekends

 Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Love Found in Letters: Summer Camp and Women's Colleges

I enjoyed Abigail Rae's recent blog post, "Love Found in Letters: Summer Camp and Women's Colleges" highlights include:

"I have always said that joining Douglass Residential College was one of the best decisions of my college career (among those including giving up smoking, deciding to not skip that midterm, and getting wine-drunk and gathering the courage to Facebook Chat a cute guy who I know now as the love of my life). Initially, I wasn't interested.    . . . Douglass provided me with the best of memories, of experiences, of inspiration. Seeing women in leadership grow and mentor within the confines of the college made me so proud to call myself an alumna. Sitting at graduation among women who inspired me every day to keep going, to put the Douglass Difference out into the world was one of the most satisfying experiences in college. I met my sisters at Douglass. I met my boyfriend on its campus. I had incredible internships and learned valuable life lessons under its tutelage. And I wasn’t the star of the campus, but I gained enough recognition that I can Google myself and see our names associated."

For STEM Girls Interested in Engineering – Check Out the Cardboard Boat Regatta

When I saw the Cardboard Boat Regatta posted on this women’s college Facebook page, I just had to share it on my blog. This looks like so much fun!

From Sweet Briar College’s Facebook page:
"Saturday marked the 10th annual Cardboard Boat Regatta, a culmination of the Engineering 110 project that challenges students to create boats with cardboard and duct tape. Teams are judged on design, speed and buoyancy. This year, only one succeeded: the boat created by first-years Isabel Ahwee-Marrah, Makayla Benjamin, Marina Biel and Mack Crary not only launched, but survived the six laps to win the race."

"Sweet Briar College is a liberal arts women's college in Sweet Briar, Virginia, United States, about 12 miles north of Lynchburg, Virginia. The school's Latin motto translates as: "She who has earned the rose may bear it." The college is on 3,250 acres donated by the founding family of Indiana Fletcher Williams.” (From Wikipedia)

Learn more about Sweet Briar College via their Web site and/or learn more about the SBC's engineering program.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Photo by Ashley de los Reyes '15

Women's College Traditions: Cornhuskin’

This is a week long tradition celebrated at Meredith College. Below is a brief description:

"Cornhuskin' is sponsored by the Meredith Recreation Association and usually occurs during the first week in November. In the fall, each class presents for competition a skit word parade, a tall tale, songs and other activities, all of which are related thematically. The four classes are judged on these performances as well as on apple-bobbing, cornhuskin', can art, class attendance and sweatshirt design. The Meredith Pride Spirit stick is given by Meredith Recreation Association to the most spirited class. All of these activities comprise the official Cornhuskin'; festivities. Additional activities scheduled throughout the week include Big Sis/Lil; Sis Bonfire, Scavenger Hunt, the President's Raid, hall raids and Cornhuskin' parade."

Check out the Can Art 2013 video! This is so cool!!!!!

Women's College Alumnae Form Organization as Resource to STEM Women

Check out what these Scripps College alumnae created!

"Kayly Lembke ’10 and Julia Maxson ’05 are co-founders of Women in Science, an organization of female graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) providing professional development opportunities to women aspiring to break through the barriers of the traditionally male-dominated science fields. It’s inspired by a similar group of the same name at Scripps, says Lembke."

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Take a Tour of this Women's College Via a Short Video: Mary Baldwin College

Mary Baldwin College Campus Tour - Staunton, VA 
Check out the majors and minors at MBC!

Who Needs the Boys?: On How Women’s Colleges Still Matter

“Historically speaking, women’s colleges were created to give women access to education that was denied to them by established patriarchal institutions. Even though women today have access to education at almost all higher educational institutions, and more women attend college than men (though both numbers are still increasing, just at different rates despite recent arguments about the “boy crises”), there remains large gaps between men and women in access to equal pay, healthcare, higher-ranking and prestigious jobs, safe workplace environments, and so many other things. Single-sex institutions, however, continue to fight these inequalities, all of which are feminist issues.”

Continue reading here ~~ Who Needs the Boys?: On How Women’s Colleges Still Matter


                           Women’s College Rock! Ask Me How!®

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Biology and Tennis at this Women's College

Watch the video above and see why Dina Kassi '14 chose this women's college, Stephens College.

Celebrating 125 Years of Educating Women

Barnard College in New York, NY!

Happy Birthday!!

Check out Barnard's history here via this timeline of the college.

Below is a fun YouTube video created by a student. All images, no sound. 

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

5 Reasons Why You Should Apply to a Women's College

Fellow HuffPost blogger, Gianna Sen-Gupta penned this blog post, “5 Reasons Why You Should Apply to a Women's College.”

"Women have claimed their stake as leaders in a variety of industries over the past few decades, no doubt due to the increasing enrollment rate of female students in colleges and universities. According to a study by the National Science Foundation, women have received roughly 57% of all bachelor's degrees since the 1990s and, in a 2009 poll, 62 percent of all associate's degrees.

With such a high volume of women already exceeding the rigorous demands of higher education, why should young women consider attending an all-female college? For one thing, these singe-sex schools offer a competitive education in line with the changing needs of today's young women. If you're deciding where to apply to college this fall, here are the top five benefits of attending a women's college."

Continue reading here to learn the five reasons.

Women’s College Traditions: Mountain Day

Mountain Day is celebrated by two women's colleges: Mount Holyoke College and Smith College.

Additional information about Mountain Day at Mount Holyoke College here.

Additional information about Mountain Day at Smith College here.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

More Than Academics, Athletics Too!

On the outskirts of Philadelphia is the town of Bryn Mawr. It is here this non-denominational women’s college is located and named after. Founded in 1885, Bryn Mawr College is a private women's liberal arts college. As one of the Seven Sister Colleges, Bryn Mawr also is highly-competitive and offers students academics that are rigorous.

Learn about the history of Bryn Mawr College here. I also linked additional information about the college’s academics and athletics programs.

Women’s Colleges: Developing Wise Women

This women's college has a new president! The College of St. Benedict welcomes President, Mary Dana Hinton.

“As so brilliantly stated by a colleague, we teach women to view their value. To view their value as leaders; their value as scholars; their value as partners and family members; their value in the community.

We inspire women to learn to achieve their full potential, as defined by them, and as necessitated by the world they inhabit. We develop wise women.”

Continue reading here.

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Autumn Beauty at Women’s Colleges

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

From the college Web site:

"Smith College opened in 1875 with 14 students. Today, Smith is among the largest women’s colleges in the United States, with students from every state and 60 countries. An independent, nondenominational college, Smith remains strongly committed to the education of women at the undergraduate level, but admits both men and women as graduate students.

Academic Opportunities - 1,000 courses in more than 50 areas of study.

Success After Smith - Almost 70 percent of each year’s senior class step from graduation right into good jobs, while 25 percent go directly to graduate school."

Women’s Colleges Hidden Treasures

Consider this hidden treasure: The Smith College Historic Clothing Collection.
 
 "The Smith College Historic Costume Collection is an archive of clothing and accessories of women in the United States from 1800 to the present and from a range of social classes. It is a resource for students and scholars of costume design, the history of dress and material culture, art and literary history, and curatorial practices. Founded in 1979, the Collection includes over 1000 objects; most of these are donations from Smith College Alumnae."

Below is the video, "Stitched in Time: The Smith College Historic Clothing Collection" for your enjoyment. 

  

This is an exciting collection and one I’m sure you'll want to investigate further. Take for example this dress worn by a student in the first graduating class of Smith College.

For additional resources and links visit here, as well as this historic clothing collection (Smith Digital Collection) resource.

To learn more about this women's college, Smith College, located in Northampton, MA, visit the college Web site.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Photo Credit: Meghan Kotz '14

Looking to Study Abroad? Consider Attending a Women’s College!

Today, more and more, young college-bound high school girls are looking to study abroad. If this is you, consider attending a women’s college. Just about every women’s college provide their students with this opportunity to study abroad for the summer or semester, like Meredith College does.

Gabrielle Hoover, Paris Fashion, Summer 2014  says: "I have learned that I am very independent, strong, bold, capable, and can adapt to change. Change is always good. We always look at the way other people live and think, 'Oh that’s weird' when people are saying that to us as well. Learning about how other people live and see life makes for a well-rounded person."

Catherine Perry, Italy-Switzerland, Summer 2014 says: "While studying abroad I have learned that I am much more independent than I thought. I could not simply just rely on my teammates because they could have been relying on me. By traveling to a new place I had never been before I had to make sure I did certain things independently not only to ensure they were getting done, but also as a learning experience for future traveling."

Sansepolcro, Italy, is where Meredith College has both semester and summer study abroad programs.

 

Learn more about this women's college: Meredith College or their study abroad programs.

Celebrating Legacy Students at Women’s Colleges

Deciding to attend a women's college is easy for legacy students!

This women's college, Mount Mary University located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has 50 legacy students (students whose mother or grandmother attended Mount Mary) currently in attendance at Mount Mary!

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends

Wordless Weekends