By Rachel Koneiczny
News Assignment Editor
The women’s studies program sponsored the panel discussion “Women Building Communities” Wednesday, Nov. 4, featuring speakers Rev. Kim Rossi, Athena Godet-Calogeras and Salwat Malik, M.D.
Alva Cellini, Ph.D., director of the women’s studies program, said the speakers are professionals in different areas and reinforce the theme of globalization.
“I think these women inspire all our students and the audience to see that it is possible to make many different decisions in one’s life in order to find what you really like to do—what are some of your real passions,” Cellini said. “You have to follow your heart to be happy.”
The first speaker, Rossi, is an ordained Episcopal priest and the first female rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Olean. Prior to this, she became the first female rector at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Attica. During her career, she has worked as a child protective caseworker, therapist at a mental health clinic and social worker.
“I was never considered as someone who could be groomed or proposed for any administrative job,” Rossi said. “Middle management supervisors—they were all men. It was very difficult to be a woman in the 70’s and 80’s and to scramble to get jobs that were meaningful and paid enough to live on.”
Rossi said that in 2000, women were starting to begin ministry and be accepted as equal with men.
“I have been the first female rector of two churches, [which is] quite a challenge because I don’t think either of the churches expected me to succeed,” Rossi said.
The reverend said students should be focused on a goal, be flexible and always maintain a sense of humor to balance the serious things in life.
Godet-Calogeras, the second speaker, serves as the chair of the Health Care Access Coalition and identifies herself as a Franciscan activist. She founded the Prologue Early College High School in Chicago and received a Masters degree in biology from Notre Dame University.
“I didn’t have difficulty in going through college, going through undergraduate and graduate school, because at that time, I was a nun,” Godet-Calogeras said. “So I [spent] all my time studying.”
Godet-Calogeras said she became involved with pushing for lower prescription drug prices in Cleveland due to the pharmaceutical industry overcharging customers, eventually earning legislative changes.
Godet-Calogeras gave students advice for their future careers.
“What I would advise all of you is to keep close to the people [in] whatever you do,” Godet-Calogeras said. “It’s not just a thing out there that you’re doing. You’re doing it for a reason and with people, and I personally think that’s extremely important.”
Malik, the third and final speaker, practices as a physician at Family Practice in Olean. She moved from Pakistan to the U.S. in 1983 and has lived in Olean since 1984.
Malik said she knew she wanted to practice medicine ever since she could remember.
“My interest in this field was so deep that I physically could not imagine doing anything else,” Malik said. “I really did not give any other choice to myself. I said, ‘This is the only thing I wanted to do. I’m going into medicine, or I’m doing nothing.’”
Malik said she faced challenges once she completed her medical degree in Pakistan and moved to the U.S.
“There were a lot of hurdles,” Malik said. “Things were not exactly as I thought they were going to be. So when I came here, the first thing was that my degree was back to zero. I was not a doctor here.”
Malik said she struggled with depression before she retook and passed her medical certification examinations. However, Malik advised students not to waste time, but to set goals and learn priorities.
Juliette Bauer, a sophomore political science and women’s studies double major, said the panel was important for various reasons.
“Anytime you collect educated, socially aware and powerful women from the community it creates an important dialogue that deserves attention,” Bauer said. “The different opinions and viewpoints that can be discussed offer new insight, and that’s so important in a feminist space.”
koniecrc14@bonaventure.edu
