By Mira Nayak and Penny Nunes
Consistently throughout high schools in the US, there is a humongous imbalance between genders in leadership classes. Westmont’s current ASB class consists of 48 girls and 18 boys, which is ironic, given how male-dominated big leadership roles tend to lean past college. We’ve come to interview the most prominent female leader we know, Laura Saldaña, Westmont’s leadership teacher. Below is her experience in the field.
What was your starting experience?
“I started in a middle school; in Willow Glen for13 years, and now I’ve been here for 13 years. At the middle school I was involved in the web program, which is a lot like LIFEcrew but middle school. I spent 2 years in that, then leadership class for 6 years. I then coached cheer—it started with a small program that danced and by the end we were competing nationally. I was involved in a lot of different aspects!”
What conflicts did you run into when you first started your career?
“Well I think that education is in a weird bubble, in that you see far more women in leadership than you see in the workforce. There is not the same number of obstacles that people outside of leadership have, and I don’t think my experience really pertains to that in a strong way.”
What have you noticed changed over the years for your female students?
“In general, all our students have a lot more pressure because of the rise of social media, making developing and maintaining confidence is something that is difficult now. When I was in junior high, mistakes weren’t recorded and amplified in the same way; if I made a mistake it was left at school and I didn’t need to think about it at home. Now, I think that this reins true for all adolescents today, women have more access to the standard to live up to and the pressure of fitting in and in high school. I always look back and wish I realised how awesome I was, and the faults I found, well, I wish I had believed in myself more. I think it becomes more difficult but on the positive side, mental health is talked about more, giving more people a way to be vulnerable.”
In your day-to-day life, what have you noticed about women being treated differently/looked down upon?
“I mean, this is a stereotype, but I think that’s what we all deal with. I think that people’s reactions to difficulties are judged in different ways and often based along the lines of gender. If a woman gets upset, she’s being emotional or hysterical or they’re not trusted or looked at as being as capable—our greatest faults are also our greatest strength, it’s like the yin and yang, right? Someone who is looked at as being too rigid and someone who is looked at as being emotional, I wish people could see the strength side of those character traits.”
What barriers to gender equality have you personally observed in your specific job?
“I think at the sight level we probably haven’t experienced it and our district has a lot more females. However, it wasn’t always that way, so it can be tough to break in—yet I don’t think being a woman here has really held me back from anything. The only thing I can think of is meeting with parents, and the question is often ‘are you a parent?’ If you’re not you can be viewed differently. When I asked my husband if he had never been asked that question, he said he had not. Overall though, I’m very lucky to be in a world that doesn’t hold me back from my gender as much.”
What does a truly inclusive workplace look like to you?
“I think that a truly inclusive workplace meets everybody where they’re at and accepts who they are as a person. It’s not just about tolerating people’s personal backgrounds and cultures, but celebrating it and knowing everybody has a voice. I strive in my classroom to show that their ideas can be heard and make them feel empowered. I would hope that any workplace I was in would do that.”