Misty York

Misty York
 Completed the Certificate in the Spring of 2005, with a Master’s in Communication.

As Communication Director for the Kentucky Fairness Alliance I do all kinds of things: web design and maintenance, advertising, public relations, media relations, and speech writing make up the bulk of it.

The theoretical background I picked up from the certificate has been immensely helpful as I devise sensitive and inclusive messaging for a diverse and (sadly) sometimes hostile audience. But even before I got into all this, I think the certificate experience made me feel empowered to pursue a career in social justice.

On a personal note, I am extremely proud to be an alumna of the WKU women's studies program. When I was a student and the online program was really getting off the ground, I felt like part of a movement that was improving women's lives all over the place. What struck me was the large number of college faculty (from all over the country) who were my classmates. So many of them were looking to our program as a resource for bolstering their own efforts to create and improve undergraduate women's studies courses. You're really changing the world up there on the hill! Thank you for the opportunity and congratulations on your amazing work.

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Olivia Smith  

Completed the Certificate in 2001, along with a Master’s in English.

I am a Ph.D. student in women's studies at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.  In between chasing around my 10-month-old daughter Ava, our two dogs Jaclyn and Samantha, and my husband Brandon (also a WKU alum), I am working on finishing my dissertation.  In addition, I am the special projects coordinator for the Vice President and Secretary of Emory, and I work with an independent higher education consultant on University strategic planning projects across the U.S.

Holding the women's studies graduate certificate was the main reason I was accepted into the women's studies Ph.D. program at Emory.  When I interviewed for the program, I was one of the few students who had a graduate education directly in women's studies.  Out of over one hundred applicants, from universities like Yale and Columbia, I was selected to fill one of the six available slots because with my WKU women's studies graduate education, I had a strong women's studies theoretical and methodological background; I had experience leading women's studies projects; I had a strong activist background; I was one of a very few who had direct women's studies teaching experience; and I had amazing mentors who cared enough for me to nudge me when I needed a push, to guide me when I needed direction, and to listen to me when I needed to share.

Olivia Smith

Second, the women's studies graduate certificate prepared me for my Ph.D. studies.  Going from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Atlanta, Georgia was daunting to say the least.  Going from a supportive teaching-intensive university like Western to an elite private research institution like Emory University was terrifying.  I was excited about the possibilities, but, like many graduate students, I was afraid that I would not be good enough and fail miserably.  To my relief and surprise, I found that I was ahead of the curve in my knowledge of women's studies theories and methods.  Many of the complicated theorists and readings I read for my Ph.D. classes were the same as those I had studied already in my graduate certificate.  This experience allowed me to go deeper into the theories and extend my research and writing in new, more complicated ways.

Third, the women's studies graduate certificate provided me with important leadership opportunities.  My leadership growth at WKU began when I was an undergraduate student in women's studies and continued through the graduate certificate program.  I was encouraged to join women's studies committees, such as the newsletter and public relations committees, that helped shaped the program. I worked along side top administrators and faculty members who valued my ideas.  Today, because of these experiences, I am confident when I work with top leaders and faculty members at Emory. 

Finally, my experiences in the women's studies program at WKU have shaped the feminist I am today.  I live my life as a feminist who believes that even in the midst of inequities, oppression, and injustice, the world is full of possibilities, peace, and hope.  I live my life as a feminist teacher who shares these possibilities with her students.  I live my life as a feminist activist who acts up and out for peace.  I live my life as a feminist mother who brings hope to her daughter every day.

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Heather Bridges

Completed the Certificate in May, 2006, with a Master’s in English

My two years at WKU as a women’s studies graduate student and assistant were two of the best years of my life. After completing my degree in English with an emphasis in TESL, I moved to Breckenridge, CO—to ski full-time. Currently, I teach ESL classes at Colorado Mountain College and manage a real estate office in Breckenridge.  I am also in the process of starting an intro to women’s studies course here.  The Women’s Studies Program changed my life in so many ways. The people I met there, the books I read, and the experiences we shared changed my life and the way I look at the world.  The main thing I try to remember when I teach ESL is to keep my classroom student-centered.  I see myself as a facilitator rather than an imparter.  To me, this idea gets at the core of women’s studies courses.  Everyone brings something unique to class because of experiences and background, and we learn from each other.  My women’s studies mentors take this approach to their classes and taught me to take the same with mine. It has really made all the difference.  Where life takes me from here, I’m not exactly sure, but I know that I will always be a teacher; I will always be politically active; and I will always think outside the box.  I don’t think I would know any of these things without the time I spent in the Women’s Studies Program. 

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Shana Restall

Completed the Certificate in May, 2003, with a Master’s in Geography.

I'm working as an associate planner for the City of Lake Forest Park, Washington, and spending a lot of time training with a roller derby league up here. Those two things consume most of my time.

When I started on I Ph.D. at the University of Washington, I found that the critical thinking skills developed in my graduate level women's studies seminars most effectively prepared me for my coursework. Although I decided that ultimately not to finish the doctorate, I left WKU with a more complicated perspective of gender and how it functions within American society.