Just about two weeks since #WAMEmilie closed, we still have so much more to talk about. Since the last time we posted a blog, girls from Flying Cloud and ROPE were able to join us for a night of theatre and we were able to present a check of $3400 to our beneficiary. Before we give a two week wrap-up, we wanted to introduce you to a very special person who ended up in our audience through the power of social media!

(Jennifer Sherman, right, with WAM Theatre Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven)

Former middle-school and high-school science teacher, Jennifer Sherman recently returned to school for further education in physics. Jennifer drove 7 hours to come see #WAMEmilie after finding out about it online and tweeting to Lauren Gunderson, the playwright, about it. We were so thrilled to have her in the audience, we thought we would catch up with her after the show and ask her a few questions as a “Modern Day Emilie”!

1.) What is the best and worst decision you’ve ever made?

I guess I regret, more than anything else, transferring out of the physics program in college. The best decision I ever made was to forgive myself for that mistake and try it again over a decade later. It’s never too late!

2.) What was your dream job as a kid and why?

I wanted to be many things—an actress, a writer, and, of course, a scientist. But some of my earliest memories are of pretending to be a teacher. My parents got me a chalkboard one Christmas and I remember teaching an imaginary class of about ten students. But I didn’t just play, I took it very seriously. I kept meticulous records and each lesson built on the day before. I think I was drawn to teaching because I’ve always loved the learning process. My passion for study began at an early age and continues to be my biggest motivator.

3.) What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?

For me and for many women I know, the “baby penalty” is a real concern (and, related to that, the gendered division of labor in the home). Especially in science academia, our 20s and 30s are vital career-building years. But those years are also a time when many women get married and start a family. I think we feel faced with an impossible decision: Do I put off starting a family (until it’s possibly too late) so that I can become a leader in my field of study? Or do I choose to start a family and settle for a second-tier career path? I’m not saying that it’s impossible to balance career and family, but the overwhelming evidence shows that having children continues to disproportionately hurt women’s—but not men’s—careers.

4.) What woman inspires you and why?

This might be too obvious an answer, but Emilie du Chatelet really is my current inspiration. (That’s why I drove seven hours to see her come alive at WAM’s production—so worth it!). She has gotten me through a couple of very challenging semesters. I feel that, if she could succeed in such an impossible time for women, I can too. Plus, her story is better than any fiction I’ve ever read. It’s remarkable.

There are other women scientists I admire, like Grace Murray Hopper who developed the concept of the computer compiler and Hertha Aryton who was an electrical engineer and an advocate for women’s suffrage in Britain. In 1911, Aryton mailed a government census back with nothing but a statement written across the form saying, “How can I answer all these questions if I have not the intelligence to choose between two candidates for parliament? I will not supply these particulars until I have my rights as a citizen. Votes for women.” What courage!

5.) What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?

Besides the issue of career/family balance, I think that lack of mentorship is still a problem. A recent Yale study found that science faculty largely consider women less hireable and less worthy of mentorship than men with the exact same CV. Despite all the talk about supporting women in STEM majors, we’re still not doing a very good job. We need to surround our girls with “people who think,” as Emilie called it. The good news is that there are a growing number of independent organizations outside of universities helping to fill the need, such as WAM!

— Thanks again to Jennifer Sherman! It brings us so much joy to know Emilie’s story can very much live on within each and every one of us! Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @nthdegreeblog or at nthdegreeblog.com

Blog Entry written by Shanae Burch, who is overseeing the social media portion of the Mass Humanties Educational Outreach Project. Click here to learn more about Shanae and the project! Also search #WAMEmilie on Facebook or Twitter for more info.