Whenever I tell people that I am a graduate of an all women's college, I get a number of different responses.
The top being "why?" The second being, "ohh that's nice", and then they quickly change the subject. However, I would like to tell all those skeptical people out there that it took close to 50 years for a women to become one of the two leading candidates and the U.S Presidential Election. You know where that women received her BA from, Wellesley College. One of the Seven Sister's that still consider themselves an all-women's college. As a graduate of Mount Holyoke College I found this liberating, because it showed that my alma-mature is still relevant, and that my fellow sisters and I can make a difference in the world.
I know that many think it's just a coincidence that Hilary Clinton was a graduate from Wellesley College. The only reason why she got as far as she did was because of her husband, former-president Bill Clinton. Throughout the years I have been praised by various staff members, from entry-level to c-suite, for being able to enter a work place and make my presence known. I don't allow for people to see me as a volunteer or an intern that only does what they are told, but rather a smart employee that wants to discuss, lead, and collaborate with staff on many projects that made a significant impact on the companies and organizations I work with. I have also been told that this is rare quality, since many students who take internships or recent graduates on the hunt for an associate position, are too intimidated by the high level staff to think that they could communicate and discuss important matters with them. The professors at an All-women's college make sure that each student understands that he/she/they can make a difference in the world because of their education. In return each student and alumna make sure that their words are heard on various issues concerning politics, activism, education, and various other human rights issues.
I know that someone could comment saying that they went to a co-ed college and university that encouraged them to meet their goals, and make their voices heard. Each professor at an all women's college goes the extra mile by exploring women's issues, gender and sexuality, queer, transgender, and various other issues and topics concerning many of their students into a normal class, to make it more relevant and interesting then what one may receive at a co-ed institution. This is the reason that each student of an all-women's college says that in addition to their major and minor, they are also minoring in gender studies.
I use the term all-women's colleges very loosely, since many of the schools have changed there policy throughout the years to allow queer, non-gendered, and transgender students into the school. Within the past thirty years, many of the seven sisters have decided to go co-ed, but many who did attend the schools when they were all-women's colleges are still here. The reason that Hilary Clinton became a Senator, First Lady to the President of the United States, and Secretary of State is because she, like myself and my fellow sisters, was taught to look at failure as an additional step to reaching their goal.
If you don't believe me, then you might want to google some other historically important people such as Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Emily Dickinson, Ruth Benedict, Julia Child, and even Donald Trump's sister, just to name a few.
