San Diego City College Associated Student Government hosted a panel of female educators on March 18, where they shared their career experiences in higher education.
The panel consisted of Psychology professors Kim Sweeney and Karla Blanco, English professor Ebony Tyree, and Transfer Center Coordinator Erin Charlens. The women spoke on challenges they faced at City College because of their intersecting racial and gender identities. They encouraged students to utilize their power to demand more from institution leaders.
Tyree discussed barriers for Black, female students and faculty on campus and how to navigate college without adequate support.
“When you’re in an institution that was not designed for those groups of people … you have to come up with creative ways to make the institution and the systems work for us,” Tyree said. “Sometimes that’s in direct contradiction with the design.”
Charlens spoke about her sense of responsibility in supporting students as much as possible, but she felt City College is not providing enough resources for Black faculty.
“We show up and we try to support the students however we can,” Charlens said. “But I think sometimes the institution sees that and thinks that we have what we need.”
The event progressed into a discussion between the panelists and students in the audience. Students expressed frustrations with acquiring support for student organizations.
Umoja President Alice Robinson was in attendance and participated in the discussion, echoing sentiments shared by Charlens. She spoke about difficulties she’s experienced when trying to get things done within her organization due to bureaucratic barriers and lack of administrative assistance.
“It’s harder to do things…as students because there are faculty that will stand in the way of helping us,” Robinson said. “It’s also like, student has a very powerful voice, but it’s also who’s willing to listen to that powerful voice to actually help us achieve it.”
Sociology major Melanie Sparks also participated in the discussion, and spoke afterward on the panelists setting examples for female leadership on campus.
“I really liked how we talked about BIPOC and women of color being in spaces that weren’t created for us, and being able to navigate that,” Sparks said. “But also hear from people that … are leading the way for us and how we can do that as the next generation.”
Women’s History Month celebrations continue on Wednesday, March 26 at the Rise and Thrive 2025 Conference hosted by City Women Rock. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the A Building patio. Students can RSVP here.
