March marks the start of Women’s History Month, a time to acknowledge the sacrifices and contributions women have made throughout history. We sat down with the President of Sam Houston State University, Dr. Alisa White, to share her thoughts on what Women’s History Month means to her.
“What I love about Women’s History Month is that it reminds me of influential women in this country and around the world and also in my own life,” White said. “I just take it as time that we can be intentional and reflect on people who’ve made a difference; people we might not think of as we would go through our daily lives.”
During Women’s History Month, female leaders are highlighted for the leadership roles they have obtained in their lifetime. For White, leadership is not defined by just a women’s career but also the different roles they hold in their families.
“Typically, or very often, it is the woman who sometimes has a larger role in handling family issues and raising children,” White said. “When we think about the contributions women make, I think we need to recognize that they often make those contributions while doing a lot of other things at the same time.”
In addition to leadership recognition, inspirational women are often the main topic of WHM. White recognized the resilience that women hold not only in a boardroom but on the Olympic field as well.
“Over the last number of years, I have been greatly inspired by Wilma Rudolph. Not only did she go from having paralysis to being able to walk without braces, she became a runner and became a better runner than anyone else in the world,” White said. “I think that’s incredible because that doesn’t happen without grit, that doesn’t happen without determination, that doesn’t happen without vision and hope.”
Although Women’s History Month has inspired countless young women to strive to be leaders in their community, White defines herself and every woman to be more.
“I don’t really think of myself as a woman leader. I just think of myself as a leader,” White said. “I don’t know that I would lead any differently if I were someone else.”
