In an interactive session at the AACRAO Annual Meeting on Monday, professional women in higher education from different cross-cultural backgrounds shared their challenges, obstacles, and strategies for achieving personal and professional success.
Panelists included: Evelyn Andrews, Jackie Carter, Tina DeNeen, Jacquelyn D. Elliott, Mechelle Aitson-Roessler, Luisa M. Havens, Tammy Aagard, and Karen Beckett.
Challenges discussed included balancing work and life—from having young children and/or aging parents to upholding the responsibilities of an American Indian family culture. Many panelists also discussed experiences achieving a higher education degree as a first generation student. Audience members, too, shared some of their personal struggles in achieving success in higher education.
The panelists offered guidance to audiences members seeking professional growth, including: embrace technology; set goals; network; read about leadership and change; commit to being a lifelong learner; use data; seek mentors; identify a support system; and ask supervisors for new learning experiences.
The presenters also advised audience members to share their stories and struggles with their daughters as well as staff. “It humanizes our experiences,” Havens said.
Handouts from the Monday 1:15p.m. session are downloadable here.