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My Last Letter to the Women’s Center: Thank You for Everything!!

I can’t believe the semester is ending–time has flown by so fast!

Anybody who knows me IRL can speak to the fact that I’m a little awkward. I fumble over my words, I stutter,  I lose my train of thought. Because I’m not always in my element speaking, writing has always been where I thrive. I can say what I mean when I write. Writing for UMKC’s Women’s Center has given me the chance to voice my opinion and discuss important feminist topics I can’t articulate as well in person, and I’m so grateful for that. Obviously, this blog isn’t just a soapbox for me–it’s a platform for our whole staff. I like the think of the blog as a sort of graffiti wall for the Women’s Center. Everyone who makes a blog post leaves a mark on the wall writing that they were here, and we have posts going back almost a decade on here. By scrolling through our blog, you can get a glimpse into years of programming, events, memories, and achievements of the Women’s Center. I truly believe our blog is special for that, and I feel blessed to have contributed to it, even though my role was smaller this semester.

One thing I’m incredibly grateful is that this semester, I was able to learn so much more! I was able to help with programming, proposals, and even plan my own event–things I never had time for in the spring semester.  It wasn’t perfect, but I’m proud I was able to put together an event that people actually came to! Basically, my event was a discussion called “Barbie to Buffy: Fictional Characters Who Inspire Us”, where we discussed our favorite female characters, how they’ve shaped our childhood and adult lives, and what constitutes a strong female character.

I’ve also gotten to know our amazing staff this semester. They’re all amazing, motivated, and welcoming people, who I’ll miss dearly! Thank you guys for making this semester so special and fun.  I’m also really grateful towards Arzie, our director. She’s been there to help brainstorm with me,  give feedback, and work with me every step of the way during my internship. I’ve learned so much about feminism, leadership, and keeping a consistent work ethic thanks to her.

As I look to the future, I’m excited, nervous, and a little bit sad. It’ll be hard saying goodbye to this place, and it’ll be weird coming to school next semester and no longer thinking about our next event, what blog post I’ll do next, or what my friends are up to in the center. Moving forward, I want to continue to give my time to organizations and causes that support women’s equity.

I will probably always be a killjoy feminist, and proud of it!

Thanks for everything,

Emma <3