Meet Our 2022 Pattis Family Foundation Summer Leaders
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Today is National Intern Day, and Women Employed is celebrating our current class of 11 summer interns! The Pattis Family Foundation Summer Leadership Program, Women Employed’s paid summer internship program, introduces college students to nonprofit work through workshops, guest speakers, and projects.
Over the course of seven weeks, Summer Leaders learn the history and look to the future of the women’s movement, participate in professional development workshops, learn about nonprofit careers, and hear from guest speakers about various aspects of social justice work. Our goal is to reach students who have lived experience related to our work and the passion to make the world a better place, to help guide and mentor them on their journey to a rewarding career in or related to social justice and advocacy.
Meet our 2022 Summer Leaders!
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"Being hyper-aware of the injustices that exist while watching my younger sisters grow up really motivates me to do my part in changing the world they live in."
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"I want to keep working in the non-profit, social justice field. I hope to work with women and/or children in foster homes and domestic violence shelters."
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"I hope to work in a comfortable space that recognizes the challenges that Black women face in order to suppress the exploitation and microaggressions that we have endured for centuries."
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"I want to create spaces for people to de and re-program society’s socialization and connect to their personal power, truth, and self. I want to empower people to live out their truth, unapologetically and fully."
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"I aspire to help other students make that life transition from high school into college to grow where they can be free and proud to fully show up as their true selves. Additionally, as a first-time mom, I feel it is my obligation to plant the seeds today, in order to create a better tomorrow for my daughter’s generation and the ones to follow."
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"My desire to live in an equitable world fuels my fire. Constantly seeing the hatred that has flooded our society encourages me to passionately advocate for myself and those around me. I hope to pursue a career that will allow me to create changes that are desperately needed in our communities."
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"I've always had a passion for people and felt a calling to help marginalized folks gain access to health and wellness. I hope to work in a space that promotes equity and justice for those who need it the most."
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"My community and the adversities that we have faced together fuel my fire to pursue a career in social justice. I hope to get certified as a mediator and begin working at a social-restorative organization after graduating."
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"Experiencing the impact of allyship and advocacy in the wake of the Atlanta spa shootings and the increase of anti-Asian hate crimes has fueled a passion in me to speak up against injustice. I hope to create more spaces that promote the educational dignity of students as an art educator."
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"I think that my sense of justice is inherent, and the longer I live and experience, the more I understand that inequalities are the foundations upon which this country was built. For me, it is difficult to choose a career that exploits those inequalities, so I am seeking a career in organizing or justice-driven research."
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"To be just and to be an advocate is to love others and to be in community with others. I seek a career that will allow me to uplift the most vulnerable in society by any means necessary.
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Welcome New Board Directors!
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Help us give a warm welcome to our new slate of Board Directors! Women Employed is proud to welcome 11 women to our Board of Directors, as well as 2 new Board Fellows. We are thrilled to work with these 13 women―with their incredible breadth of talent, depth of expertise, and passion for economic justice―as well as our veteran Board Directors, to grow the economic power of women in Illinois, particularly those who are low-paid and who are Black and Latina/x.
We are so pleased to welcome:
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Cynthia Alfaro, Transformational Leader
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Teresa Becvar, Partner, Stephan Zouras, LLP
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Shawna Dodds, Managing Director, Product Development, Cigna
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Ausannette García-Goyette, MPP, Program Officer, Irving Harris Foundation
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Caroline Greenberg, Director of Finance, Bully Pulpit Interactive
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Pamela J. Haney, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, Moraine Valley Community College
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Sepora Makabeh, Financial Advisor, Bernstein Private Wealth Management
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Nia Mathis, Vice President – State and Local Government Affairs – Central/New England Region, Verizon
- Barbara Barreno-Paschall, JD/MPP
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Lauren Smith, MBA, SPHR, Employee Relations Director, Adtalem Global Education
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Joanna Trotter, Executive Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Board Fellows:
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Kate Everson, Communications Specialist, Boeing
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Jasmine E. Guy, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, CCS Fundraising
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Congratulations to WE Staff Promotions!
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Women Employed is thrilled to announce the promotion of five very deserving staff members. Join us in congratulating them on this huge accomplishment. We are excited to see them grow and look forward to the contributions they will make in their new roles!
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Entrepreneurship is Economic Freedom for Women
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"But while fears often plague the mind of the full-time employee with a side hustle, they still crave the freedom that comes with being their own boss because entrepreneurship is freedom. It is ensuring that you can stay at home with your child(ren) when they are sick. It is being able to go on vacation, take mental health days, and care for yourself without wondering how many sick or personal or vacation days you have left."
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Women Employed is on the hunt for a Marketing Coordinator! This person will help build WE’s brand and reputation, as well as supporters’ connections with the organization, by collaborating on all facets of the organization’s marketing and communications strategies.
If you or someone you know are interested in helping to develop and implement strategies for email, social media, the website, and digital advertising, has experience with digital marketing strategies, and is a strategic thinker and planner, we encourage you to apply!
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COVID-19 Impact on Chicago Women
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Last month, Mayor Lori Lightfoot's Women's Advisory Council, in partnership with Women Employed, World Business Chicago, and Civic Consulting Alliance, released a report detailing the impact of COVID-19 on women in Chicago. The report finds that women remain economically vulnerable.
Women experienced worse employment outcomes because they were uniquely vulnerable prior to the pandemic and occupied lower quality, low-paid jobs. Fewer women were in the labor force in 2020 compared to 2019. And regardless of educational attainment, women earned less than men. Women deserve workplaces that are equitable, fair, flexible, and safe. Women Employed will continue to advocate to make that a reality, and to ensure women can emerge from the shecession strong and financially secure.
Read the full report here.
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Illinois' 10-Day Sales Tax Holiday
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Beginning August 5th, Illinois will reduce the tax rate on clothes and school supplies to 1.25% from 6.25% This will help with alleviating the strain that comes with preparing for the upcoming academic year for parents and educators.
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August is Make a Will Month
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A will is probably THE most important document that you’ll ever write! It allows you to select how your assets and property should be distributed when you pass away and provides peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones.
August is National Make-A-Will Month, and we want to share a free resource that thousands have already used to take care of their families: an online will-writing tool. You can create your will in under 20-minutes using freewill.com.
This resource is a free and easy way to protect the people and animals you love and an opportunity to make a legacy gift to the organizations you care about.
Everyone needs a will, whether you are 18 or 80. There’s no better moment than NOW to find some peace of mind in planning for the future. And, when you do, please consider a legacy of impact towards a more just future for women by including Women Employed as a beneficiary in your will.
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Women Employed in the News
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