In our current political world, women are showing up more than ever. This year’s upcoming elections are already seeing a wave of women preparing to run for office, many of them for the first time. I hope that we are on the verge of having our first female president because it will show the entire country that women have the abilities necessary to do any job and face any challenge. I know that this cannot happen until the United States accepts women in leadership roles, but I also know that at Saint Mary’s we have all the tools we need to start this. The world needs female leadership, and Saint Mary’s is using their legacy as an all-women’s college to foster leadership skills for their students.
Professors encourage students to take leaps, like apply for a prestigious internship, study abroad and even run for political office. The school also has programs and opportunities to develop leadership qualities for students. Last year, I participated in the Women, Leadership and Communication class where we learned about women’s leadership and what we could do to become leaders at school and in the world. This incredible opportunity taught me so much and I would not be the person I am today without the leadership skills I have learned at the College.
As a student, I have leadership positions in multiple student organizations, including being the President of College Democrats. If I went to a coeducational institution, I would wonder if I was passed over for the position because I am a woman, or maybe I would not have been encouraged to start the club at all. At Saint Mary’s, students are able to lead without fear of discrimination based on gender. The thing I think Saint Mary’s does best is normalize women leadership. Every leadership position is filled by a female student, which provides a really great example for all students, which is the beauty of an all-women’s college. Most of our administration, including our President, is made up of women. These opportunities are due to the legacy of the college’s promise to create women leaders in the world.
There are so many benefits to attending an all-women’s college. For me, one of the most tangible benefits is that I have had so many opportunities to be a leader. I am ready to go out and change the world because of the skills I gained over the past four years. At Saint Mary’s, we have the tools to start a society where women are valued as leaders. As a society, we have a responsibility to encourage women to become leaders in our own communities and in the entire world. We also have the responsibility to become leaders, and, by example, create more women leaders.
