Leaning In Without Losing Self

The summer of 2013 was an exciting one for me both personally and professionally – I got engaged and I presented for the first time at the NASPA Region II conference in New York City with a colleague.  Our roundtable discussion focused on Women’s Issues and discussed topics such as work-life balance, personal and professional successes (educational achievements, awards and promotions).  

In preparation for the roundtable, I read several journal articles as well as books and had conversations with other colleagues and other professional women.  One of the books I read was 'Lean In' by Sheryl Sandberg. 

 

Like so many others, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and after reading it, I figured I would start “leaning in” in every aspect of my life.  Well, the first question that came to mind was “What does it mean to “lean in?”  In my case, it meant to become more confident, to adopt new roles, face new challenges, and perhaps, even take a more masculine approach to my career and personal life...But, in reality, I was really dismissing my values and roots.  

As a Latina-American woman who was raised in a traditional household - I come from culture where traditional gender roles are not just adhered to but are embraced.  As is well known, the man is the one who is expected to be strong, dominant, and provider for the family. Naturally, other questions began to emerge - What was I trying to prove? Would I forget about those ideals after reading this book?-.  I love my new role as a fiance and take a tremendous amount of pride into every aspect of it. So, I wonder, “Why not transform the traditional roles by committing to being partners? “Why not also be strong and be a provider?”

I ask these questions because it seems that “leaning in” has been interpreted as being dominant and maybe, even rigid? What does it mean to other professional Latina-American women?

About the Author:

Katherine Aguirre is a Counselor/Assistant Professor at Suffolk County Community College, the largest community college in the state of New York.   Katherine is responsible for academic advisement, recruiting new students, and developing programs and initiatives to increase the retention and graduation rates of the underrepresented student population. In 2011, Katherine was a recipient of the “Top 30 Professionals Under 30 Award” presented by the Huntington Chamber of Commerce.    

She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Dowling College, a Masters Degree in Counseling from CW Post-Long Island University and a Post-Graduate Degree from St. John’s University.   She is currently in an Educational Administration Doctoral program at St. John’s University.  Her research intends to focus on developmental coursework and first-generation Latino/a  college students. She has presented at SUNY CDO Conference, NASPA Region II conference and is an active member of ACUI, NASPA and LILTA.