For the past decade or so, I’ve grown up as the sole woman in an all male household. In many ways, prior to this year, I didn’t fully understand my identity as a woman or as a gender minority in my own house. Participating in Women in Leadership and Learning (WILL) this year introduced me to a community of inspirational women from all disciplines and walks of life. Throughout the yearlong program, I grew into my identity as a woman alongside these wonderful ladies.

       Each week, my WILL cohort met virtually for two hours to discuss feminist topics, learn about women throughout history, or simply grow as a community. Over the course of the year, each of us planned and executed a community action project. For my community action project, I chose to incorporate aspects of reflection into my existing internship at a Cincinnati mental health nonprofit called 1N5. Because women’s mental health is an underserved field, I learned about how to best educate young girls about self-care from a young age to promote wellness.

        Overall, the WILL experience helped me develop as a woman, student, and leader. After completing my community action project, I feel empowered to continue advocating for change in my community, and I am grateful to have gained such a tight knit community of strong women.