Women's Center--national conferences
A Message from Lynn Otterson, Director of UIS' Women Center
This is what Carrie Bauer said about her trip to the 2005 National Women’s Studies Association Conference in Orlando, Florida:
“It confirmed for me in a big way what I already knew—that the world is a better place because of women.”
Now a partner at Third Coast Research, a consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois, Carrie earned her bachelor’s degree in political studies in 2005 and her master’s in political studies in 2007—both from UIS.
One way the UIS Women's Center supports women...
Carrie attended the NWSA conference with support from UIS’ Women’s Center, where we work both to improve the status of women in higher education at the University of Illinois at Springfield and to enhance all students' academic experiences by offering information, support, advocacy, referrals, and programming on a variety of gender-related issues.
The Women’s Center would like to send more women to conferences like this one, where they can be informed and inspired to take a stand as women. Please consider giving to this cause because of the difference it will make in our students’ lives. Donate
You can read about a recent conference to which we sent two students: Very inspiring!
More from Carrie...
Of her own experience at the NWSA conference, Carrie Bauer says:
"Seeing all of those professors, directors, and strong women in one place made me so happy. Women are always the first ones to care about the little things and because of that they make not only large scale things happen, but make the everyday stuff—which is what matters to most people—happen.
"All of their hard work was validated right there at that conference just by their presence and willingness to stand up for women and what they believe in, and their willingness to move the fight forward …whatever that fight might be."
The Difference You Can Make
As Director of UIS’ Women’s Center, I have seen this sharpened awareness of women’s importance in all of the UIS women who have attended conferences with Women’s Center support. Students who attend conferences come back with a much wider understanding and appreciation of the world of scholarship and activism, and an enhanced excitement about their role as women in that world.
You can help to share Carrie's experience with other women through your gifts to the Women's Center Student Focus Fund.
“I’ve always been interested in human rights and injustice towards women,” says Carrie Bauer. Attending the conference while she was at UIS opened her eyes to what the women around her were doing. “Each of the women there worked diligently to make things better for the people around them, women specifically.”
Carrie hopes other students will have their chance to attend conferences for women: “Giving aid to students for conferences and other projects,” she says, “helps them step out of the box and gives them their chance to have that ‘wow moment’—their ‘Wow! my eyes were just opened to something that I never quite fully understood or appreciated before’ moment.”
Your gift will allow us to send more students to conferences. Please join me in continuing the important work of the UIS Women’s Center.
Signed,
Lynn Otterson
