March, Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month is a dedicated time to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. This month we are focusing on the theme of Valiant Women. If you remember last year, this theme provided such an encouraging and positive atmosphere in our community. We are so excited to dive in again this year! Join us in commemorating and encouraging the observance and celebration of the vital role women have played in American History!

If you are interested in learning more about Women’s History Month as well as the origination, we invite you to explore this link! https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Focus more on your strengths and less on your shortcomings. What others think of you does not define you. 

Who is your hero?
When someone tells me about something they have overcome, I am always in awe of the strength of the human spirit. Therefore, I have many heroes. The students I work with come to mind.

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Gender Bias. It is definitely more subtle than it once was, but I see it in society, the workforce, education, the media, and politics. Gender should rarely help and never hinder a decision about a person. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Michelle Obama, Dolly Parton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah Winfrey, and many more.

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"The best thing to hang onto in life is each other." - Audrey Hepburn

What is one fun fact about you?
I cry at commercials about animals. Even if it's just a dog food commercial. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?
It is okay to mess up sometimes. Not everything you do needs to be perfect. 

Who is your hero?
My Father.

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
There are many challenges women still face today, but one way we can overcome them is by encouraging women to support other women. I believe there is room for all of us to succeed; it does not always need to be competitive. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Many women have done great things, but two women that I think have been great leaders are: Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Pat Summit.

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." - RBG

What is one fun fact about you?
I took a juggling class in college to earn one more activity credit, and now have my own juggling rings. I can also make balloon animals... so basically hire me for your kids birthday parties ha! 

What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes we fall into a space that is comfortable but real growth happens when you step out and try new things. 

Who is your hero?
My hero is my mom. She passed away in 2013 but was a kindergarten teacher for 25 years. She inspired me to become a teacher and always supported me. Even though she is no longer with us, I always try to make her proud and live true to the values she taught me. 

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
I think there are still challenges for women when it comes to sports. Male sports seem to get more recognition on TV, on social media, and even in schools. As a country, we focus on male-dominated sports on a national level. I think that we can overcome this as a society by encouraging networks to show professional female sports. At the high school level, we can promote sporting events and recognize success in female-dominated sports. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is inspirational to me as a leader. She fought for women's rights and gender discrimination in our country and has made an impact on so many people. 

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"Chin up, chest out, smile, walk tall" In life, there are ups and downs, but to stay positive whenever possible and putting one foot in front of the other to keep moving forward is important to me. 

What is one fun fact about you?
I love sports! I have been a Cheerleading Coach for 15 years. I also play volleyball for fun! The Packers are my favorite football team and went to my first game at Lambeau Field last November. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Happiness isn’t a destination, but a lifelong journey. When in doubt, just keep swimming. Take advantage of every moment and enjoy it! Also, remember to not be too hard on yourself. 

Who is your hero?
My grandma. She came to this country with nothing, and she was resilient in creating a life she wanted for herself. She was also kind to everyone she met along the way. 

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
The work and home balance for women. To reduce burnout and slow the rate of women leaving the workforce. We could create flexible work policies and allow autonomy over the way work gets done. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”- Eleanor Roosevelt 

What is one fun fact about you?
I love to cook. My signature dish is homemade chicken parmigiana. The homemade sauce makes it :) 

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Believe in yourself and trust yourself, because if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.

Who is your hero?
My Mom - HANDS DOWN

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Challenges that remain today are women being taken seriously in leadership roles and the gender pay gap for female athletes. How can we overcome them? Women need to realize YES they can and men need to start stepping aside :) 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Jackie Mitchell - google her...you will be shocked!

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
Never Give Up - 3 simple words that mean everything to my family. We never go down without a fight. 

What is one fun fact about you?
I make the best protein bites

What advice would you give to your younger self?
You are so much more than what you see in the mirror... until my younger self believed it!

Who is your hero?
My grandmommy!

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
The perception that women are less qualified and competent than men. To overcome this, we will continue to prove through our words and our actions that women ARE qualified and competent. We deserve to have the mic. We are here to write history, and will do a dang good job at it.

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

What is one fun fact about you?
I know how to juggle!

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Do not be afraid to speak up in a crowded room. You will find your voice along the way. 

Who is your hero?
Any woman who is willing to stand up for what is right while aiming for equity. If a glass ceiling is shattered along the way, so be it.

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Women have to overcome the battles of the bias that men are more intelligent or always have the correct answer. Women can be just as great, if not better. As a woman, I make it known that my thoughts are just as important as anyone else. I may have to work harder and be louder than the other people in the room, but I will do what it takes to show other women that they can be heard as well. We must lead by example by making our voice heard and showing that our thoughts matter. I aim to do just that as a female robotics coach and math teacher.

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Hypatia of Alexandria because she was a woman in STEM who never broke her stance of what she believed in. She was questioned many times, but she stood her ground until her last day. She was also known as a great teacher and a wise counselor.

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

What is one fun fact about you?
I had a radio show in college. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Dance like no one is watching! 

Who is your hero?
Gram - Mary V. Higgins :) my grandmother, my matron of honor

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Juggling career and family is a tough hurdle to navigate. Redesigning workplaces to help with daycare needs and added flexibility would help reduce the stress for young families.

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Spencer & Quinn Cann - You don't know them yet, but they'll be fierce leaders that I know will make me proud and I hope you too one day :) (our granddaughters 10 & 8) Watch out world!

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
If better is possible, good is not enough.

What is one fun fact about you?
I now play the role of "Oochie Claus" at Christmas for our grandkids.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Embrace your imperfections, let go of little worries & give yourself permission to have MORE fun!! 

Who is your hero?
My sister-in-law - Courtney Kidd

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
The challenge of juggling a career & motherhood - I think we overcome it with great mentors, strong support systems & the realization of our personal top priorities & non-negotiable! 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Mother Teresa

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness! 

What is one fun fact about you?
I was Miss Pre Teen Kankakee County & a top 10 finalist at the Miss Illinois Pre Teen Pageant with the best interview in the state.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
If I were to give advice to my younger self, I would encourage myself to be more confident. As I’ve aged, I have learned to embrace who I am and who I want to be. 

Who is your hero?
My hero is my mom. She is a patient, hardworking, compassionate, and valiant woman. My mom puts our family before herself every day. She has always been a positive role model in my life and I strive to be just like her. My mom exemplifies the type of parent I want to be in the future. 

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Respectfully, in our world today, women are still facing the challenge of proving themselves as equal to our counterparts. I believe women in all fields should be valued and respected. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
In my opinion, Temple Grandin will go down as one of the most influential female figures in history. She is known for her leadership in autism awareness. Living with autism herself, Grandin proved to the world that she could overcome adversity and not be defined by a disability label. 

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
“Face Your Fears” is a memorable quote that my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Fons, used often. Here I am 20 years later and I still think about this phrase. Mrs. Fons encouraged me to be fearless and face daily challenges head on. The impact she has had on me actually inspired me to become a teacher.

What is one fun fact about you?
I have an extreme fear of elevators. When I was in college, I got stuck in an elevator and had to be rescued by firefighters. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Live in the moment, time will fly by. 

Who is your hero?
My sister, Breegan.

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Misogyny. We can overcome this by self-advocating and teaching the younger generations that women are just as strong and intelligent as men. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Malala Yousavzai 

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” 

What is one fun fact about you?
I love reading books!

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Stand up for yourself. 

Who is your hero?
My dad.

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Gender pay gap, sexism, and violence. We can overcome them by either continuing to protest and/or removing ourselves from that environment. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Rosa Parks

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." - Dolly Parton

What is one fun fact about you?
My favorite color is blue.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Never settle for less, you deserve the world.

Who is your hero?
My Mom.

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Stereotypes and misogyny.To overcome them, we should bring more awareness to the challenges we face.

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Frida Kahlo

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." - Lao Tzu

What is one fun fact about you?
I have my own small jewelry business.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would say have a positive attitude because you will become successful in the future.

Who is your hero?
My dad is my hero because he's always there for me.

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Some women struggle with mental health problems. The way women overcome their mental health is that they can talk to someone who can support them and make them feel comfortable. It's also important to spread kindness and show some love to women who struggle with mental health.

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Serena Williams inspires me to be a leader because she has proved herself successful against all the odds.

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"Face your fears."

What is one fun fact about you?
I am a positive-minded person and I like interacting with people.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to keep working hard and to continue to push towards my goals, because it will all work out. 

Who is your hero?
My little brothers.

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
The inequality in sports between men and women is unreal. I believe we just need to keep trying to make our voices be heard and speak up until somebody listens.

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Gracie Gold!

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"Darkness can not drive out darkness, only light can do that." - Dr MLK Jr

What is one fun fact about you?
I have five wisdom teeth.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
To my younger self I would say to speak up more. Not only my opinions, but for what is right and make your voice be heard in order to make a change. 

Who is your hero?
My grandma is my hero. She loves our family so fiercely and would do anything to make us feel loved, whether that's going to a sports game, dance recital, buying us treats even after our parents said no she made sure all her "babies" were taken care of to the highest extent. She does all of this for us to ensure we are enjoying every moment in life!

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
Being underestimated. Women throughout history have been doubted in our ability to do things and this challenge still remains today. Our worth is so much more than what is understood by others, we often get misconstrued as weaker because we cannot lift as much, but as a women we are so much stronger than what you see physically. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Florence nightingale, she inspires me because she led by example in order to make the world a cleaner and better place for others. 

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours" - Dolly Parton 

What is one fun fact about you?
I love Dr. Pepper.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Others opinions do not matter, only your own. So reach for the stars, be who you want to be, and don't answer to anyone but yourself. You are stronger and more capable than you think.

Who is your hero?
My mom

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
I believe women face many challenges today, even in our modernized society. Men are consistently viewed as more capable, stronger, intelligent people versus women, who are often viewed as less. We can overcome the barriers between what society expects women to be, look like, act, and say by becoming our unapologetically true selves. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Eleanor Roosevelt

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
"You don't inspire your teammates by showing them how amazing you are. You inspire them by showing them how amazing they are." - Robyn Benincasa

What is one fun fact about you?
I love to surf in the summer.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don't sacrifice your goals in order to please other people.

Who is your hero?
My hero is my mom. She is the strongest, most independent, person I know, and she always finds time to support me in everything that I do. 

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
A challenge that still remains is the stigma that women are too emotional. People need to realize that showing emotions does not make a woman have clouded judgement. Emotions are completely natural and, by showing those emotions, it does not make a woman any less capable of doing something over a man.

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
A female historical figure that inspires me to be a leader is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She always stood up for what she believed in, and she helped fix injustices in the judicial system. RBG was the second female supreme court justice in history, and I feel that women can turn to her to see a strong woman in power. She has affected me because she gives me hope that as long as I persevere in life, I can also accomplish my goals. 

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be”- Maya Angelou 

What is one fun fact about you?
I have been playing softball since I was five years old.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Be you. Because that’s really all you can be. 

Who is your hero?
My parents 

What challenges remain for women today? How can we overcome them?
I still feel as if there is a stigma around women and how they are less or weaker than men. I think we are slowly but surely getting over that. But I do believe that we are equally as strong and important. I think as a whole we can work on being more dominant in proving we really can do anything that a man can do. 

What female historical figure inspires you to be a leader?
Aretha Franklin

What is one quote that means the most to you? 
“Feminism is probably the most important movement that you could embrace because it’s basically another word for equality” - Taylor Swift 

What is one fun fact about you?
I’m going to Olivet Nazarene University to be a Special Education major!