Following the centennial of the 19th Amendment in 2020, Penn State senior, Kristin Gjelaj, penned an explanatory piece on the gender parity issue within Pennsylvania politics, seeking to find the “why” behind the disproportion.
“I wanted to uncover the biases toward women in leadership roles, what may discourage a woman from running and the biggest challenges they face, compared to their male counterparts,” Kristin said.
She envisioned “Remembering the Ladies” as a way to motivate young women through the stories of experienced female leaders who are currently creating political pipelines.
“The personal anecdotes of these women are inspiring and deserve to be shared, especially during a monumental year,” Kristin said. “‘Remembering the Ladies’ is a piece of hope, encouragement and strength. It reveals how we can always pull up one another, encourage each other to succeed and learn from those before us.”
As a Digital/Print Journalism and Spanish double major, Kristin believes that, journalism, when done best, can be a vehicle for change. She hopes to continue to amplify and support the voice of women who continue to challenge and change society for the better.
She has found ways to contribute to others’ growth through extracurricular involvements, which include:
● Penn State THON, Public Relations Committee
● VALLEY Magazine, Current Events Section Editor
● Criminal Justice Research Center, Communications Intern
● UPUA, Director of Executive Communications
● CommRadio, News Anchor
● PSN News, Field Reporter
● Albanian Association of Woman and Girls, a non-profit aimed to end violence against women and human trafficking in the Balkans.
“When I feel as though I have lauded in the growth of another person, I feel empowered to do more.”