Panel discusses trials, tribulations of women

Crossing color barriers and self-empowerment were major themes students discussed at the Graduate Student Women of Color discussion panel Thursday night in the Student Center. Moderated by Linda McCabe Smith, associate professor at The Rehabilitation Institute at SIUC, the panel members shared their personal stories of success and failure while pursuing a higher education. The eight women on the panel represented various backgrounds and majors, but the unifying factor lay in their determination to succeed. Tana Nikolic, a junior from Anna studying elementary education, said she was glad she attended the discussion. She said her family did not expect her to go to college. "I was told by my family to get a job, get married and have lots of children," Nikolic said.

Nikolic said even though her family does not understand why she would chose education first, they still support her fully. "I think about the others [minorities] who don't have this privilege, and it makes me more determined," Nikolic said. Kara Scott, a graduate student from Carterville studying mechanical engineering, discussed how graduate school had taught her more about herself. "It's a humbling experience, but it's beautiful," Scott said. "It's not about getting the degree. It's the process." Scott, a black woman in a predominantly male college, said the one thing she had to teach herself was to obtain her academic goals purely for herself. "Be real with yourself," Scott said with tears in her eyes. "I'm not doing this for you. You can't let anyone else tell you what to do."

Sharonda Lewis, a graduate assistant from Chicago working at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, said when she began graduate school, she let others steer her into a field she was unsure was for her. Lewis attained a bachelor's degree in accounting and was convinced by others to acquire a master's degree in the same field. After a year, Lewis knew accounting was not for her and left the program. "I was the person who did something because of what other people told me," Lewis said. Now, Lewis is finishing her last year of graduate school in workforce education. With the help of her mentor, friends and a renewed confidence, she said her University experience has been full of trial and error. "She believes in me, and that makes me believe in myself," Lewis said about her mentor. McCabe Smith has been at SIUC for 12 years. She said she could sympathize with the issues the panel brought up because she had gone through them during her graduate school experience.

"There were times when you felt like someone was watching you with no clothes on," McCabe Smith said. "But I wouldn't take anything from my journey." Benilda Beretta, a graduate student from Carbondale studying photojournalism, said she had an experience where a University professor did not support her work and told her she would not make it in graduate school. Beretta, who is of Puerto Rican descent, has shown her pictures at Yale University and said they were well-received. She said she was glad she did not listen to the professor's advice. Beretta said she is inspired to show her pictures at conferences to show other minority women that if she can do it, they can too. Mary McGuire, SIUC assistant professor of history, said she was more than pleased with the discussion panel.

"I think it was an outstanding opportunity for us to hear from women of color who are going through the graduate program here at SIUC," McGuire said. "This was a very personable panel. They were very eloquent speakers." McGuire said during the entire discussion, there was never a sense of victimization. "They are very strong young women who are not looking for excuses, only opportunities," McGuire said. "What I've taken away from this is once again how strong women are," McGuire said. "This panel is a wonderful testament."