History is boundless: The purpose of the #HawkHerStory campaign
Since the 1980s, Women’s History Month has been a national celebration commemorating the vital role of women throughout history. Beyond being mothers and wives and daughters, women have broken glass ceilings, poured foundations and built platforms on which those of the next generation could stand and let their voices be heard.
This year, I wanted to pull together an issue of The Signal that focused solely on women. In particular, the women of the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL).
From the very first graduate to the university’s first female president, UHCL has seen history being made by women for decades. With The Signal’s #HawkHerStory campaign and special edition issue, our goal is to highlight not only the history made but also the history to be made by spotlighting various students, faculty, staff, alumni and administrators.
In my own life, women have had an important role in shaping who I am as a person. First and foremost is my mother, who has instilled in me the importance of advocating for oneself and others. She has taught me to always treat others with kindness, even if the sentiment isn’t returned. My mother is an amazingly strong woman who has always had my back.
My grandma, on my mother’s side, is the definition of strength. Her ability to see the goodness in even the darkest times is what I have learned from her the most. With her wit and wisdom, she is the core of our family.
Additionally, my mother’s sister is another woman who has impacted my life. Through her independence and sense of humor, she has shown me that there is more to life than the mundane tasks of every day.
Lastly, there are the teachers, professors and advisers I have had the privilege of learning from. In elementary school, it was Mrs. Broussard who helped a shy brown kid see beyond fourth-grade bullies. In intermediate, it was Mrs. Magayar’s tough and critical demeanor that thickened my skin and sparked my love for writing.
In high school, it was Mrs. Sliva who taught me about journalism and believed I had what it took to be a student leader. In my college career, and more specifically my time at UHCL, it has been professors and advisers like Taleen Washington, Lindsay Humphrey, Anna Klyueva and Diana Bowen who have taught, encouraged and challenged me to look beyond my personally drawn academic limitations.
With The Signal’s #HawkHerStory issue, I want to not only show appreciation to the various women of UHCL but to also bring attention to who they are beyond their majors and titles. Q&A’s with various women within the UHCL community can be found here. If you are interested in participating in The Signal’s #HawkHerStory campaign, contact us at thesignal@uhcl.edu.
Beyond this issue, I want to continue the #HawkHerStory campaign long after March because women’s history should not be restricted to 31 days. History is boundless.
