McBride column
Are You Somebody's Mom? By Rosemary Finn
That's it--the polite question dreaded by some of us so-called McBride Scholars. We get it every year during orientation week; parents mill about the campus helping daughters to get situated. A lot of us look like parents. Some of us are! But as quickly as you cast that stereotype, another McBride rounds the corner...
Resa wears a smart nose ring, knows wine like nobody I've met before. Margaret studied to shoe horses. Diane taught art. Mel took a week off from C-SEM to travel the Amazon River. Amazing. Who are these people? Just your average Bryn Mawr McBrides, women you bump into occasionally who could be your older sister, aunt, mother--grandmother, even. Why are "they" here?
Gosh, each one of us is so different from the others--different home lives, work lives, backgrounds, means and motives. It's not possible to lump us into one category. I think we all share a quest to learn, a plan for new career or avocation, spunk, and the belief that there's plenty of gas left in our tanks. Beyond that, you're on your own--no helpful hints on how to approach "one." Go ahead--take the risk of possibly feeling awkward for a moment--get to know us. We would genuinely love for you to do that.
It could be useful. McBrides represent an untapped network for you to leverage as you think about what happens after Bryn Mawr. Collectively we've survived a slew of job interviews, been hired, fired, right-sized, down-sized, promoted, elected, appointed, and anointed. Well, maybe not anointed. We've fallen into dream jobs and weathered work environments not to be believed. Along the way, we've made some very handy contacts. Several of us are also involved with community work, hospitals, firehouses, literacy, art therapy, shelters, local politics, camps and kids, senior centers, guide dogs--you name it.
Just the facts, ma'am.
There are about 55 McBrides enrolled at Bryn Mawr currently: some freshmen, some seniors, most in-between. We tend to spend more time completing a degree than do "traditional age" students--about 5 or 6 years, as a rule.
We come from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware; we also come from California, Jamaica, and France. Many of us have jobs, families, childcare and eldercare to juggle with classes and studies. We all commute, grumble fiercely about inadequate parking and inconsiderate course scheduling--from our point of view. Nonetheless, we wouldn't trade the experience and wish we could spend more time connecting with each other, let alone everybody else on campus.
To that end, there's a McBride Board, comprised of elected representatives from each class and Rona Pietrzak, our dean. Among other duties, the board orchestrates teas and community days each year so that McBrides have opportunities to enjoy each other's company. January 26th marked the seventh annual McBride Community Day on campus.
For one event, we hosted a panel of current and graduate McBride entrepreneurs who shared their business recollections and insights. What an amazing group of women! Suzanne Levanbach '02 received a degree in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing. She also co-founded Rosebud, a retail store for women's attire and had a roller coaster ride from no money, no time to some money, less time, to selling out to her partner. Lois McAffrey-Lopez, an undergraduate majoring in Anthropology at Haverford, started and ran a successful government contracting business, serving prisons with specialized lock and door installations. Talk about a lone woman in a man's world! Next, we met Laura Chalfant '97 who now has a master's degree in Anthropology. With new insights, Laura has enhanced her skills and business in holistic body therapies. Last, Kim Peters '01 spoke; Kim majored in philosophy at Haverford and will complete a master's degree in History of Art this spring. She started as a seamstress and designer, ran her own business, found that she had a knack for tutoring kids with learning disabilities and is making that passion her future.
The other special event for this year's community day was a seminar on how to manage your own career roadmap. Dr. Andrea Hornett (business professor, Penn State) and I had a fine time facilitating that exchange; in our spare time, Andi and I are Daredevil Coaching.
Ok. So now you believe me. McBrides are amazing! So are you! Together, we ARE Bryn Mawr. Since the traditional-age student population is so visible compared to the McBrides, SAGE thought its readers would enjoy a periodic column featuring the thoughts and antics of Bryn Mawr's women of a certain age. I'll be back as soon as I dig up more to share. Stay tuned!
Rosemary Finn About the Author: Ro. ended a successful career as high-tech computing specialist and software business executive in order to study as a McBride Scholar at Bryn Mawr College, launch Daredevil Coaching, Inc. with consulting partner Dr. Andrea Hornett, and act as an advisory board member for WomenMatter.net. She is working towards an independent major in creative writing and photography, with the intention of becoming a freelance writer and photojournalist.
