vmi celebrates its 25th anniversary of admitting women
This past weekend I traveled down to my alma mater, The Virginia Military Institute (VMI), to join in celebrating the 25th Anniversary of admitting women into the college. When I matriculated back in 2007, the school was celebrating its 10th Anniversary and I just can’t believe how much time has gone by and how many classes of exceptional, strong and independent women have graduated since then. Before I get into the details of the celebratory weekend and my personal experience at VMI, I first wanted to share a brief history of the school and Supreme Court decision that gave women the right to attend.
HISTORY OF VMI
Founded in 1839, Virginia Military Institute is the oldest state-supported military college in the United States and has been ranked among the nation’s top undergraduate public liberal arts colleges since 2001. What makes VMI unique is the fact that no other college in America is so attentive to and so proud of its product: citizen-soldiers prepared both for civilian leadership in their professions and for military leadership in times of national need.
From 1839-1996 VMI was strictly an all-male military college and by just one vote the deeply divided Board of Visitors was forced to act by a Supreme Court Ruling (heavily supported by US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg) to end the history of the institution being all male and start admitting women with the incoming 1997 school term.
“U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote the majority opinion, “says some women have the will and the capacity to succeed in the training and attendant opportunities that VMI uniquely affords.”
I was thrilled that VMI was hosting a full celebratory
weekend
to honor this amazing accomplishment full of
female alumnae panell
discussions, networking events
and social gatherings. I was even more
honored that VMI
asked me to participate on a panel with other
female alumnae
to discuss Entrepreneurship. Speaking on a panel
next to older
women alumnae was an empowering and powerful
experience.
I got to speak about ACCESS | Style and, quite
frankly,
I think a lot of audience members were shocked
to hear that I
started and ran a fashion styling and interior
design business. I’ve
spoken before about the fact that I’ve
spent the majority of my life
in a uniform, to include my four
years at VMI, so I can absolutely
understand the look of
confusion people often give me when I
tell them I’m a
VMI graduate.
I attribute much of my independence, strength, leadership
and business acumen to VMI - during my four year cadetship
there I was forced to rise up everyday and give my everything
to every task scheduled that day. I was literally forced to “rise up”
everyday alongside my peers for breakfast roll call and mandatory
classes. I was taught real-time leadership skills, a can-do attitude,
physical and mental strength and a real head on acceptance and
accomplishment of and over fear.
I am honored and proud to be from this incredibly vast and
supportive family that is VMI, and I’m even more honored to have
been part of such an incredible weekend with an audience of
incredible women. I was able to meet and talk with women from
the first graduating class (2001) and wasn’t surprised at all how
strong, smart and impressive these women were.
Without knowing it at the time, these former female graduates, starting with the first class and every year proceeding, helped
pave the way for women like me. I can only hope that I can inspire
and motivate others the way these women inspired and
motivated me this past weekend. I’d be happy to discuss my
experiences at VMI with any of you at any time….however; in the meantime, I’ve included some photos for your viewing pleasure above (to include my very pixelated and embarrassing Rat (freshman) Track & Field photo).
Always surround yourselves with those who will support you and motivate you to strive to be better than you were the day before.
