Story: Phillip Tutor | Photos: Betsy Compton
Goal is to help young women of color develop ‘soft skills’ for life, workplace
Combining hefty doses of college advising and tough love,聽Dr. Mary Hanks聽and two of her聽聽colleagues in January will embark on a mission to help female students of color not only adjust to life on campus, but also succeed.
The main reason?
鈥淏ecause I can remember being an 18-year-old on a college campus and not having a clue,鈥� she said.
Beginning Jan. 18, Hanks, chair of聽UWA鈥檚 Ira D. Pruitt Division of Nursing, and two others —聽Dr. Chineda Hill, an associate professor of nursing, and Dr. B.J. Kimbrough, dean of the聽School of Graduate Studies聽and UWA鈥檚 chief diversity officer — will host a series of workshops that will revolve around a central theme: the importance of developing soft skills for professional settings.
鈥淚 understand it鈥檚 not just minorities who lack soft skills,鈥� Hanks said, 鈥渂ut it has been on my heart since I was in my twenties to work with young girls and teach them how to maneuver.鈥�
The first event, 鈥淕et Your Mind Right: Empowering Women of Color to Build Professional Relationships and Nurture Seeds for Success,鈥� will take place at 4 p.m. on Jan. 18 at Spieth Hall, Room 427. The workshops, which will continue throughout the year, are open to any female minority student at UWA, regardless of major or age.
Hanks bastes her definition of soft skills with two overriding ingredients — self-awareness and professional identity. The goal, she said, isn鈥檛 merely to help female students of color succeed as students. It鈥檚 to arm them with professional-level life skills they can use throughout their careers.
鈥淛ust knowing what some of my students鈥� struggles are,鈥� she said, 鈥渢hey don’t know how to always handle themselves.鈥�
As a longtime member of UWA鈥檚 nursing faculty, Hanks believes she has a 鈥渦nique perspective鈥� because of the professionalism in dress and behaviour required in nursing classrooms and hospital settings. Her explanation is part tough-love, part mother, part mentor.
Her examples also are blunt.
鈥淏eing aware of your tone or voice, even when you are speaking with someone,鈥� she said. 鈥淏eing aware of when it鈥檚 OK to be assertive. Being aware of when it鈥檚 OK to stand your ground, (because) sometimes it鈥檚 OK to remain silent and just listen. Being aware of your facial expressions and what鈥檚 going on with your body language. And being aware of your dress and how you are perceived by others, because you have a culture, and we have a culture that we celebrate, but how do others perceive that culture when we go in professional spaces?鈥�
At the first event, Hanks, Hill and Kimbrough will introduce themselves and set the tone for the series. That afternoon, Hanks said she and her colleagues will urge attendees to acknowledge what鈥檚 at stake academically in the spring semester and adopt a professional tone with their coursework.
baby直播 will hear pointed questions: Are they focused on why they are at UWA? Are they doing enough to ensure the semester is a success? Do they have a planner to track their assignments? Have they read their syllabus? And, even, do they know the date of their first exam? baby直播 also will be allowed to ask questions regarding anything at UWA.
鈥淭his goes beyond nursing, this is about knowing how to handle yourself,鈥� said Hanks. 鈥淵es, there’s professionalism, but sometimes it goes beyond a professional space 鈥� This is about the things that my mother taught me.鈥�
