Women's Studies at Aquinas College

"Thanks to the liberal arts education, I have been encouraged to incorporate my [Women's Studies] knowledge into every class from theology and humanities to science. This interconnectedness and overlap has significantly affected my approach to conversations, research, teaching, and work. Now, I am always hyper aware of the gendered institutions in our society and am consciously trying to work against gender stereotypes and encourage people to pursue their true identity, even if it doesn't fit into gender expectations" -Nalana LaFramboise, 2021, Dance Instructor and author of At Center Line (2016) and Beyond Center Line (2020), now pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in Fiction and Poetry from San Jose State University in California

"I have used my Women's Studies courses in every course I have taken at Aquinas. In my English courses, I have focused on the role of gender-- whether that is in the author's context or the relationships between characters in the novels. Having this frame for analyzing texts has helped me study not only the texts, but also their contexts and settings on a deeper level." -Bridget A. Gibley, 2021, now a Teaching Assistant, pursuing a coordinated degree in Library Science and Women's and Gender Studies at University of Madison-Milwaukee.

"My Women's Studies courses have shown me numerous examples of advocating for social change, including advocacy as a career or demanding change within an unrelated career, such as women in sports who fight for fair treatment." -Erin Dwan, 2020, who worked in the nonprofit sector with Adopt a Classroom after graduation.

Alumna Kelly Dittmar ’05 is often a featured commentator on major national media outlets including MSNBC, NPR, PBS, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. She earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University, is an assistant professor of political science at Rutgers University–Camden and scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute of Politics and has published two books focusing on gender and political institutions: A Seat at the Table: Congresswomen’s Perspectives on Why Their Representation Matters (Oxford University Press, 2018) (with Kira Sanbonmatsu and Susan J. Carroll) and Navigating Gendered Terrain: Stereotypes and Strategy in Political Campaigns (Temple University Press, 2015).

“After taking my Women's Studies courses, I feel as if many facets of my mind have been opened, and I have become much more understanding and empathetic to other groups and beliefs. As a dual sociology and psychology major, my women’s studies courses have greatly impacted my ability to learn and understand these subjects from many different viewpoints and will also impact my future abilities when working with other individuals.”
-Jayme Brizzolara, 2018, now a full-time youth development specialist in the residential program at D.A. Blodgett St. John's

“Before I knew I had the beliefs of a feminist but now I have the knowledge of the history behind those beliefs. Not all women are the same, but as women we must stick together to create a better outcome for us all.”
-Adrianna Triche, 2018, now pursuing her master’s degree in library science at Wayne State University

“My Women’s Studies minor has influenced my worldview dramatically. I see the world in a much more intersectional light. Nothing is isolated; our identities are intertwined. I have also applied the critical thinking skills that I've learned through Women’s Studies to my communication and business classes to take my analysis a step further.”
-Ellyse Hall (VanderKamp), 2017, now a full-time marketing specialist at Priority Health