How long have you worked in the Women's Center?
Since September of 2010

Why do you think the Women's Center is important?
The Women’s Center offers so many women’s-related resources and programming, and provides a safe space for women (and men) of all backgrounds to visit and in which they feel comfortable. The Center is a place many visitors have meaningful conversations, whether that was the purpose of their visit or not (many times they wind up staying longer than originally intended). Also, I can’t stress enough the importance of our lactation/meditation room, which has allowed many mothers (including faculty and staff) to comfortably pump during their days spent on campus. Balancing a career (whether academic or professional) and being a mom is not easy and knowing that we can offer support to make this transition easier for new mothers is important to me.

What is your favorite thing about the Women's Center?
My absolute favorite thing about the Women’s Center is the sense of community one feels immediately upon visiting us. I’ve not only experienced this myself, but have heard many others express it, as well. Once you walk through these doors, you immediately feel the positive and nurturing vibes from the Women’s Center community. Also, the Returning Women’s Support Group rocks!

What have you learned from working in the Women's Center?
I’ve learned what a sense of community means to me and to others. I’ve often heard, especially among returning women students and mothers, that they never really felt a part of the UMBC community until they visited the Women’s Center to take advantage of our resources. Upon experiencing this myself, as well as hearing it from many others, I understand and take much more seriously the importance of feeling a sense of community within an academic setting.
Read more about Christy's work at the Women's Center at the link below