OWHE Blog
Shout Out to Chrysanthemum (Mum) Hayes! Mar 28 2019
Imagine that your job is a blank canvas. You still have your title, of course, but you have an opportunity to recreate what it means to do your job in a new, effective way. This was how Chrysanthemum (Mum) Hayes introduced me to my work on the OWHE Board of Directors in July 2017. She told me to imagine that OWHE Education wasn’t just about webinars and session proposals, but to brainstorm all the possibilities for the role.
It was after this brainstorming session that OWHE Education became more complicated and fun. Annie Popoff and I agreed that the OWHE Blog would move to the Education desk so that the professional advancement role could shift to mentorship and engagement. I dreamed of making podcasts, having OWHE sessions and educational meet-ups throughout the year, and all the rest.
Mum had inspired me to think beyond the ordinary and reach for the extraordinary, the sort of content and challenges that would allow me to grow along with the organization.
It Takes A Village Mar 14 2019
The full Nigerian (Igbo) proverb reads, “It takes a village to raise a child”. This quote resonates with me when thinking of my value for community, which is also a value of Oregon Women in Higher Education. I wouldn’t be where I am today without support from my chosen family, community, and mentors. From dropping out of high school, to becoming a scholar-practitioner activist & community leader, I know the importance of having people around you who share values and identities. As a femme with multiple oppressed identities, I know this work can causes serious burnout. Affinity or other forms of community engagement might be critical just to survive the work day, especially in areas like the Pacific Northwest.
Kerry’s Journey in Higher Education Feb 28 2019
I never thought I would be accepted into college and find it incredibly ironic that I have made my career out of working at a college; I have worked 15 years in Student Affairs now and am currently the Associate Director of Housing. Growing up, I struggled to pass classes and despite the efforts I made, the after class programs and hours of studying, I continued to fail tests and do poorly on papers. I never flunked out of moving ahead a grade, but was very worried that no college would accept me. I was accepted to a small university, which at the time I was very excited, but soon learned it was not a good fit for me. While leaving and going through the application process again frightened me, I had a mentor that helped me to realize that the end result of a degree could be achieved at any college or university. I completed one academic year and took some time off and transferred to a school better suited for me.
Meeting the Unique Strengths and Challenges of Nontraditional Preservice Teachers Feb 14 2019
“I wanted to be a teacher. I met with an advisor who told me that all the courses were during the day. I was told that I would have to quit my job in order to complete the program. I remember crying in the parking lot because there was no way for me to quit my job, feed my family and afford to go to school. I felt like I was never going to be a teacher” (WOU graduate and Oregon kindergarten teacher, 2018).
Better Together: Ellen Weeks & Portland State University Jan 31 2019
My life journey is intricately shared with Portland State, from my earliest years and on to the foreseeable future. This university has played a central role in my life, almost like a guardian angel: she’s there when I need her, providing me and others in my life with opportunities to move ahead, often when need was greatest.
At the age of ten, I watched my mother scramble to improve an impossible situation: my father moved out, and she was suddenly a single mother with no career and six children to raise. To this day, I don’t know how she did it, but she managed to find temporary jobs while putting herself through night school at PSU. She graduated with a BA in English, while still giving her six children happy childhoods. The degree opened doors for her and she eventually found a career in the life insurance industry. PSU was there for my mother in her time of greatest need.
OSU's OWHE Book Title Swap Jan 17 2019
If you've ever tried starting an engaging conversation with a group of people you know it's hard. Book clubs have historically been a great way to solve this problem. Traditionally, book clubs gather people who are reading the same book to connect with each other on a regular basis... but who has time for that anymore?
When we asked OWHE members at Oregon State what they wanted from their membership, they told us they were interested in participating in activities that had elements of professional development, social/networking, and books. None of the Oregon State Institutional Representatives had the bandwidth to organize and run a book club, so we came up with another idea.
Origin Story: The Women of Color Caucus at Oregon State University Jan 3 2019
The Women of Color Caucus originated in January of 2018 at the Oregon Women in Higher Education Conference (OWHE). Bouquet Hargar, Jasmine Brown, and Azadeh Ghanizadeh met and united at this conference at a closed event centering women of color. The OWHE Women of Color Caucus Breakfast inspired the organizing campaign that resulted in the Women of Color Caucus at Oregon State University. The breakfast organized by OWHE, and the social mobilization it catalyzed, demonstrates how a simple congregation of women of color can produce expanding and enriching organizing possibilities. The ongoing conversation that was started at this breakfast examined the unique challenges and opportunities facing women of color in higher education. Having forty or more women of color from all across Oregon in one room, was an extremely empowering sight for Bouquet, Jasmine and Azadeh.