Elon University Feminist Club Hosts Women in Leadership Panel
On April 7, the Elon University Feminist for Equality Change and Transformation, or EFECT, hosted a panel of five strong female leaders across the Elon community. While the event was originally scheduled in March to honor Women’s History Month, it was pushed back in light of recent events harming the AAPI population on campus.
The organization wanted to create a space that strives to make Elon students feel empowered in their own unique identities, highlighting the importance of intersectionality in our current climate. Its leaders admitted they struggled with their leadership positions over the past year while so many people were facing similar challenges and wanted to create a panel that could share ways to fight those adversities and come out stronger on the other side.
The panel comprised of women from all parts of campus and included:
Dr. Connie Ledeoux Book- Elon University’s first female president
Dr. Haya Ajjan- Associate Dean of the Martha & Spencer Love School of Business, associate professor of MIS, Gordon Professor in entrepreneurship and faculty administration fellow
Dr. Megan Isaac- Professor of English
Dr. Amy Johnson- Executive director of the Elon Core Curriculum and associate professor of history
Dr. Shannon Lundeen- Director of academic-residential partnerships and associate professor of philosophy
The women each discussed the unique challenges or situations they have faced in their professional lives and how it has actually made them more driven and determined workers. They were asked a series of questions throughout the panel and offered their own perspectives and pieces of advice, particularly for young women in the audience about to enter the workforce or professional world.
When asked if they could have pictured themselves in these leadership roles when they were in college, Dr. Hajjan has a unique viewpoint. She discusses growing up in Syria where women lack a significant amount of rights, and how being able to shed a light on women’s empowerment issues is incredibly important to her because of that.
“Finding women who are good role models is definitely something that inspires (faculty) to look up and see what the potential is,” Hajjan says.
She additionally advised seizing the moment, especially in college. It’s easy to always look toward the future, she explains, but the present can be just as important.
Dr. Isaac adds a point about an important aspect of being a woman in any kind of professional atmosphere. As a mother herself, she discusses how having children has been the biggest difference she has seen in the workforce.
“Having children impacts your career in a different way than men,” she says. “It is an essential decision women make that has a day-to-day, if not hour-to-hour impact on your career.”
The panel was both insightful and informative, demonstrating how women from all backgrounds and professions can not only share similar experiences but also empower one another. The five women on the panel share their unique and valuable advice, showing just how strong women can be.