By Chris Howard-Williams
Hello! My name is Chris Howard-Williams, and I am delighted to be joining the Women’s Center as a work study student for the summer term! I am currently a student at UMKC pursuing my Master’s in Couples and Family Counseling. This has been a dramatic career shift for me as I spent the 15 years prior to becoming a student at UMKC as a 4th grade teacher in the Olathe (KS) school district. It has been an exciting journey to transition from teacher back to student, particularly when I realize I’m not responsible for grading papers anymore!
During my time in the Women’s Center, I hope to deepen my understanding of what feminism is and the important role it plays in our society. I come into this position as a true learner, knowing that I have much still to learn and yet being eager to do so. I have a special interest in challenging “societal norms,” particularly in the areas of gender and sexuality. I also enjoy working with youth to accept their interests even if (and most especially if) they do not match with our society’s norms. Beyond that, I’m also really hoping that I get to learn how to knit as I hear the director of the Women’s Center, Brenda Bethman, has a real penchant for knitting! Oh, and by the way … yes, my hair is really blue in that picture! Feel free to stop in and see what crazy thing I’m doing with it next!