By Gionna Bean, Opinion Editor
March was National Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the remarkable contributions of women. At Aquinas, many leading women share personal insights on what it means to be a woman.
Writing Center Coordinator and SSS Program Advisor Julie Bevins believes that womanhood is deeply connected to qualities of receptiveness and empathy. Whether or not a woman chooses motherhood, she carries these traits into her work and daily life.
Julie Bevins – Photo By Aquinas Website
“I would encourage any woman in any field to be aware of the privilege of being a woman and to bring that embodied gift of womanhood to any task,” Bevins said. “The privilege of being a woman is a unique and incredibly wonderful gift to the world.”
Beyond empathy and compassion—qualities that often shape strong leadership—Aquinas women also emphasize the power of freedom, hard-won through decades of struggle during the women’s suffrage movement.
Executive Director of Sustainability Jessica Bowen draws inspiration from her mother, a strong role model who worked as the chemistry lab coordinator at Aquinas while raising four children. Growing up around campus, Bowen was motivated to become a first-generation college student. After initially pursuing biology and realizing it wasn’t her passion, she found her calling in environmental studies, geography and sustainable business.
Jessica Bowen – Photo by Aquinas Website
Bowen came into the world of science in a time when women were working to increase their status and presence in scientific circles around 1990. The presence of women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is becoming increasingly prevalent. According to the United States Census Bureau, women made up 38% of all U.S. workers in 1970 and 8% of STEM workers. 50 years later, the STEM proportion increased to 27% and women made up 48% of all workers.
Now a mother herself to a daughter and a son, Bowen is committed to breaking barriers in science. “I think it’s so important to expose kids to science to show them that women can be scientists, too,” Bowen said.
Unfortunately, though many opportunities are opening up to women, misogyny still builds walls that are sometimes difficult to overcome. Director of Career Engaged Learning Brigid Avery shares an instance in which she felt disrespected due to her gender.
Brigid Avery – Photo by Aquinas Website
“I remember when my kids were really little, I got reprimanded for trying to take comp time to be with them,” Avery said. “The man at my review told me ‘you know, if I have to go home and let my dogs out, that’s one thing.’ I remember having such a visceral reaction; you are comparing going home to let your dog out to pee to me taking care of my children.”
Misogyny, often manifested as sexism, can show itself in many forms that aren’t always obvious to the average onlooker. From harassment to subtle biases like Avery experienced, all forms of discrimination can significantly impact employee morale in the workplace.
To combat this, Bowen emphasizes the importance of a strong community in the face of such gendered discrimination.
“It’s important to surround yourself with people who will lift you up and that you can turn to as confidants,” Bowen said. “I have had a wave of women who have come up vocally speaking up for me. The women here are so supportive and it’s just amazing how they stand up for each other which is part of our unique values as a school that was literally founded by Dominican sisters.”
As leaders at a Catholic college, many leading women at Aquinas view womanhood through the eyes of God. “I’ve been Catholic since I was twelve,” Program Director of the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) Lynn Atkins-Rykert said. “My grandmother was a humble, God-fearing woman- very loyal to her family. She just had the right spirit for people. She always taught me to treat others the way I wanted to be treated and that it’s okay to disagree with people as long as you do it with respect.”
Lynn Atkins-Rykert – Photo by Aquinas Website
Atkins-Rykert brings her grandmother’s teachings into her work. She channels the words of her grandmother and deals with disagreements in the workplace with patience and understanding rooted in faith.
In a similar way, Bevins believes that women hold a special place in life. “God thinks women are wonderful,” Bevins said. She explains that women were created last in the story of creation in the Bible. God took care to create women, meaning women must have a special role in the world.
Whatever this role might be, Bowen, Bevins, Rykert and Avery agree that women should feel empowered to pursue any path they choose in life, whether that be earning a degree, embracing motherhood, or following a different calling.
The Saint 