The Maranyundo Very Important Women (VIW) Showcase!
March is Women’s History Month and during this month, we celebrate the countless women who have fought courageously for equality, justice, and opportunity in the world and have had lasting impacts on our lives.
As Women's History Month comes to a close, Maranyundo would like to honor the
Very Important Woman you've all nominated that have made these impacts!
My very important woman in my life is my sister. She has strived through every trial and tribulation possible and still manages to be an uplifting spirit.
- Andrea, Maranyundo Supporter
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My VIW is my mom! My mom was an art teacher and an amazing mom who cared for three daughters. She gave us a wonderful childhood that inspired me to travel and see the world. I became a Social Worker because of her inspiration to help people less fortunate than myself. She also taught us to be independent and emphasized the importance of our family and education in our lives.
- Jessi, Executive Director
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My VIW is my sister! My sister is one of my best friends, while we fought a lot, especially over who’s shirt was who’s, she was always there for me to give me advice, lend an ear to hear me rant about anything, go shopping, and was the one who taught me that you don’t need to prove yourself to anyone but yourself and that if you need someone to believe in, start with yourself. She is a big influence in my life and I love her more than anything in this world.
-Natalie, Development & Operations Coordinator
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Karin Tellekson. She is my sister and one of the most important people in my life. Karin is the person my daughters turn to when they need to talk and she has always been willing to listen. They call her before they call me. She is one of the kindest, most patient, and caring women I know, and her former students would say the same thing. Though we certainly had our moments and disagreements in middle school, since then we have been extremely close and she is always a very valued sounding board when I need an opinion and a listening ear. And she gives the best hugs. I love her dearly and would not be the same person without her in my life.
- Lisa, Board Chair
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My grandmother, Fi Herbert. I have infinite admiration for my grandmother, Fi. By the late 1950s she had completed a Masters degree, a Fulbright Scholarship, and a PhD. She shelved her career while she raised three children with the love of her life, another scholar. After the youngest went to college, she went back to academia, and in the 1970s, was one of the very few women that held a professorship. Over the years, she studied and wrote books about everything from African history and metallurgy, the spice trade in Ceylon, and biographies of American historical figures like Ben Franklin. She continues to nurture her curiosity and her family like no one else I know.
- Claire, Maranyundo Volunteer
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My VIW is my coworker Kait. Not only did she support my transition into my role and advocate for me as another woman in the office, but she is incredibly intelligent, funny, and kind-hearted. She brings a positivity to the office that is unmatched while still managing a family at home and fielding office personalities with grace. I aspire to be as self-assured as she is, and appreciate the extensive amount of advice she has given me over the past year. She deserves all the happiness in the world and I am forever grateful to have met her.
- Sophia, Maranyundo Supporter
