Women are often thought of as having feminine roles in society, with men being grouped into masculine stereotypes.
But on our campus, both sexes cross gender expectations and excel in their positions.
President of Pierce College Kathleen Burke is the person with the most power – and she is a woman. She has no problem making decisions that some would think may be difficult because of her sex.
Times have changed in ways that support men and women doing what they enjoy versus conforming to social expectations.
Women on campus have the opportunity to become welders, automotive technicians, artists, musicians, set designers or anything they put their minds to.
The same goes for men. They can become nurses, mathematicians, theatrical actors or dancers.
Men do not typically go into the nursing field because it is considered a job for women. But that is a stereotype that can be proven wrong at Pierce College. In the spring of 2017, three out of the 21 graduates were males.
Once I complete my education, I want to work in sports or entertainment. Outside of campus, I’ve been told that women have to sleep their way into those industries because it’s harder for them.
While that is sexist and discriminatory, I’ve been supported by classmates, professors and advisors on campus.
The Academic Senate, the Associated Students Organization (ASO) and many of the committees on campus are close to even representation by men and women.
Although societal norms, rules and roles have instructed men to devalue women in the workplace, men on campus support their female counterparts.
Department chairs are mostly women across campus. Those that are men do not devalue the women who sit in the same seat as they do.
STEM classes usually bring men to mind because of science and technology portion, but women are active and scholarly working the program as well.
The campus supports the effort of all its students to succeed in whichever major they choose and frowns upon discrimination due to gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity.
UN.org lists 17 goals to make our world more sustainable, with goal 5 stating, “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.”
“Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world,” the website wrote.
Along with the United Nations and other parts of the world, our campus is doing its best to make everyone feel comfortable and know that they are equal.