Breaking the Glass Ceiling: A Perspective in Color, Gender, and Leadership

"If the chips may fall, do not let a chip fall on your shoulder." This statement represents a significant theme of discussion for four professional women during the Breaking the Glass Ceiling: A Perspective in Color, Gender, and Leadership forum held on the evening of March 19, sponsored by the Black Student Association of College of Notre Dame of Maryland.

The women spoke about how they never acknowledged their gender or race as a hindrance in the pursuit of their careers. According to the speaker, the greatest opponent is yourself when you have a defeated attitude; all of the women agreed that the key to success is persistence. The panelists agreed that you must decide what is important to you and chase after your desires. If an opportunity exists, then grab it, no matter who doubts you.

The Black Student Association invited the panelists: Gretchen Cook-Anderson, media relations expert, entrepreneur and author; Sophia Ghezai, Ethiopian aviation pioneer; Dr. Charlene Dukes, president of Prince George's Community College; and Dr. Anne Lin, founding dean of the School of Pharmacy at College of Notre Dame. Dr. Charlene Dukes was not present due to personal circumstances.

"With humor on my side, do I see a glass ceiling? No, I am tickled pink with possibilities," Cook-Anderson said. Cook-Anderson has spent nearly 20 years in media relations and is now contracted with NASA's Goodard Space Flight Center as a telecommuting senior writer and editor of the Office of Public Affairs. "When you delve into an all-man industry, they will eat you alive and steal your idea," she said, "Sometimes that is okay because they will show appreciation later." Cook-Anderson had two tactics for eluding prejudices. "Use humor to diffuse work sexism and pink-nose, befriend the enemy," Cook-Anderson said.

The women at the forum were women who had simply followed their desires, as demonstrated by Ghezai. "I grew up near an airport. Halfway into college I wanted to become a flight attendant but I was too young, so after I graduated there was an opportunity to go to flight school. I took it," Ghezai said. Ghezai became the first female commercial pilot in Ethiopia in 1991. " I could say I opened doors but it would've happened," said Ghezai. In 2000, she retrained for her US Air transport pilot license, soon after joining Atlantic Coast Airlines. " Once flying is in your system, you can't get it out," said Ghezai.

Though she has met very few challenges with male colleagues, whose biggest struggle is how to joke around her, said Ghezai, with a laugh, Ghezai is not a stranger to prejudices as a woman. "One flight, while doing my rounds, a gentlemen came to me and said he was praying the whole time they would not crash because she was a female pilot. He admitted that it was a smooth flight, however, he wished the airline would have notified him there was a woman pilot." Ghezai grew up in Ethiopia under Russia's socialist control. "Women are equal," said Ghezai.

College of Notre Dame's own, Dr. Anne Lin, shared her advice, also. "Don't hesitate to take on tasks," Lin said. Lin has served as dean and professor of the College of Pharmacy at MidWestern University in Glendale, Ariz., was founding chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Wilkes University's Nesbitt School of Pharmacy and Nursing, was director of the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health professions at St. John's University in New York, and director of drug information services at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. Lin admitted that public speaking does not come naturally to her and she has worked hard to master it over the years. An audience still heightens a sense of anxiety in her. "No one is able to be Superwoman, you must decide what is important." Lin lives by certain virtues, "If you help others it will be reciprocated," Lin said. "No one can take away your education."

During a question and answer period an audience of approximately 50 students, faculty, staff, and guests prodded the panelists for their thoughts on topics as diverse as family life, Michelle Obama's image, and education.

The evening was full of wisdom and laughter. "I thoroughly enjoyed myself, tonight," said Irene Ferguson, vice president for student development at College of Notre Dame. The event was one in a series at College of Notre Dame celebrating Women History's Month.