UNC-CH Curriculum in Women's Studies

Alumnae

In an effort to create a network of Women's Studies graduates across the country and to provide a way for you to communicate easily, we have established this page on "News from Grads." Please write and let us know what you're up to. Send information to:

Curriculum in Women's Studies,
401 Alumni Hall,
CB#3145, UNC-CH, 27599-3135.

Or email Karen Thompson in the Women's Studies Office: kthomps1@email.unc.edu.

Adrienne Lockie writes on 11/11/04:
After graduating with a Women's Studies degree in 1996 and spending a year post-college volunteering for women's organizations, I attended Georgetown University Law Center (GULC). Georgetown has a rich feminist faculty and I was encouraged to pursue a career advancing women's rights. After clerking for the Honorable Carol Amon in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), I worked on reproductive issues as a Blackmun Fellow at the Center for Reproductive Law & Policy. Inspired by the Domestic Violence Law Clinic at GULC, in 2002 I became a Staff Attorney at Safe Horizon in the Domestic Violence Law Project where I represented domestic violence victims in the Manhattan Family Court in order of protection and custody and visitation matters. Last semester, I taught a class on domestic violence and social policy at the New York University, Shirley M. Ehrenkranz School of Social Work. I joined Rutgers as Director of Domestic Violence Advocacy Project (DVAP) in January 2004. I'm now also the Acting Director of the Women's Rights Litigation Clinic at Rutgers, where I teach third year law students to represent domestic violence victioms in final restraining order hearings.

Kelsey Beck writes on 12/30/03:
After spending a couple of years in southern California working with domestic violence, I moved to Seattle, Washington. I am currently working at a non-profit food distribution and hunger relief organization called Food Lifeline, where I've been for the past 2 years. I work in the Agency Relations department, where we help to keep information and food flowing smoothly to our 250 member agencies. On a women's issues note, I also work on-call at a domestic violence shelter and a homeless shelter for women and families, and I'm a member of the King County Women's Political Caucus steering committee. Through the Caucus, I'm planning to attend the April March for Freedom of Choice in DC, and I'd love to hear from anyone else who's attending!
KelseyB_2@hotmail.com

Rekha Chandrabose writes from Medical School at UNC:
Med school is mostly fabulous, although a more conservative environment than what I was used to in my work in the non-profit sector! I am happy to serve as a contact for any undergrad women's studies major who is also interested in medicine. We need all the good people we can get. My recent activities include serving as a Class Advocate, which is something of a Peer counseling program at the med school, coordinating MSFC, and acting as a representative to the faculty and admin. re: the curriculum of the medical school in general. I spent the summer in Kenya on an international fellowship sponsored by medical students for choice (MSFC) learning about the experience of abortion there, which was amazing. Abortion is illegal in Kenya, so it was a different perspective than what we have here. (Although the Bush-Ashcroft team my change that.) I am also active in the gay/lesbian/transgendered/allies group at the med school.

On a personal note, I am married (2 years) and we live in N. Chatham county with our 140 lb. St. Bernard mix dog whom we rescued from the animal shelter in 1999.

Kelsey Beck sends greetings from California:
I am currently living in Carlsbad, CA about 40 min. north of San Diego on the coast, and working at a domestic violence center called The Women's Resource Center.

Adria Mueller writes:
My life's path has been greatly influenced by my involvement with the Women's Studies department as well as the History department (my other major) during my time at UNC. It is nice to see that the Women's Studies department strives to share its knowledge with others and involve other departments within the university, as well as people from the community and other schools and businesses.

After graduation I spent the entire summer in South Africa through a program called Operation Crossroads Africa, which I found out about through Prof. Roberta Dunbar in the African Studies department. Operation Crossroads was actually the progenitor of the Peace Corps. In South Africa I worked on rural development projects doing manual labor such as fence constructing and brush clearing and burning. For a number of weeks I lived in a Zulu hut, called a rondeval, with no electricity or running water (quite an experience). I also had the opportunity to visit several wildlife reserves, attend some programs associated with the International AIDS Conference held in Durban, attend a soccer game, and (strangely enough) I met the American actor Danny Glover who does quite a bit of activism in South Africa.

While in South Africa my group worked under an umbrella association called the Philisisize Association for Development (PAD), started by a black South African woman named Thabi Shange. PAD works to help organize smaller women's groups throughout Kwa-Zulu Natal. PAD helps these women learn how to raise income, save money, learn about health issues, and childcare.

Being in South Africa was incredible. The beauty of the land and people is astounding. I hope to go back to visit many of my new friends there soon. I still remain in contact with the members of PAD via email.

Shifting gears, upon my return I moved to the Washington, DC area to begin my job search. I figured DC would be a good place for me, especially considering the fact that the Peace Corps and grad school remain high on my priority list of future plans. DC has good schools, a Peace Corps headquarters and many job opportunities. So, her I am!

I am currently doing temp work to pay the bills but am also helping out a new business called The Development Market Space. They hope to match businesses, looking for ways to donate money to people in need, with NGOs while cutting out a lot of the usual unorganized red tape/bureaucracy. It is exciting to be a part of this project because I am getting to use my newfound knowledge of South Africa and put it to good use toward a good cause.

All in all I'd say I am doing pretty darn well at the moment (except for my frustrations with the DC traffic). I love your idea about creating a network of Women's Studies graduates. If there is any way that I can help out please let me know.

Stefanie Conrad writes:
After graduating in August 1998 I worked as a temporary administrative assistant for Tarheel Temps, a placement agency that serves the UNC-CH community. From January 1999 until August 1999 I worked as a habilitation technician for people with developmental disabilities at Annas Resources, Inc. in Chapel Hill. I facilitated my clients' inclusion in the community and supported the development of their independent living and/or self-care skills. Throughout that period I held other part-time jobs as a waitress, a childcare provider, and a customer service representative. In September 2000 I moved to Richmond, Virginia, and started temping once again. In January 2001 I joined the temporary staff pool at the University of Richmond and was hired as a full-time employee, almost a year later, in December. I am now the administrative assistant for scholarship programming in the university's undergraduate admission office. Currently I am applying for the Master of Liberal Arts program at the University of Richmond and hope to be admitted this fall.