MA, Women’s Studies 2009
Kathryn Turner (she/her) graduated in 2009 with an MA in women’s studies. She holds post-graduate certificates in communications and technology and web development from UNC Chapel Hill and East Carolina University respectively.
When I started my master’s in 2008 with the goal of doing non-profit management and public policy research, I had no idea that a recession was looming and the employment outlook would be a lot less rosy than when I graduated with my bachelor’s degree the year before. By the time I returned from an enriching and once-in-a-lifetime study abroad experience in India, I knew I had to figure out what I was going to do after graduation– which was only four months away.
While I was in the Women’s and Gender Studies program, I had the opportunity to work with a women’s environmental organization in Gainesville called Women for Wise Growth. That experience, combined with my internship at a social services non-profit organization, led to a full-time position before I could even walk across the stage with my cap and gown.
The day-to-day work involved supporting caseworkers, screening phone calls, updating websites, sending sales emails, directing clients to food and financial assistance resources, and taking donations. It was a wonderful first job out of grad school, and I learned a lot from my coworkers, but I was getting married and wanted to move to be closer to my spouse.
Not long after landing an administrative position at UNC Chapel Hill, I was using more and more of the skills and knowledge that I acquired at the University of Florida in a higher ed environment. I supported about two dozen faculty committees that worked on issues ranging from gender equity, student-athlete success and fixed-term faculty labor issues to faculty grievances and diversity and inclusion programming. I furthered my digital communications and web design skills by completing rigorous graduate programs that helped me learn how to be a professional communicator.
When my spouse received a faculty position at UNC Charlotte, I entered a new chapter as a digital content developer. Applying my web and communications experience to marketing programs to students, I was able to work more creatively and also serve on committees dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Last year, I had the honor of leading our department’s diversity and inclusion advisory committee. With the help of colleagues, we planned a number of lunch and learns and a field trip to educate staff about diversity-related issues in Charlotte, NC.
Like most places after the pandemic, our university experienced a lot of retirements and reorganization. I was promoted to marketing director of Business Services in November 2021. I currently oversee our marketing and communications efforts for all of our revenue-generating areas. It feels like it has been a long road to get to where I am, but I am incredibly grateful for all of the experiences my time at UF afforded me, and I am especially appreciative of the encouraging mentorship of Dr. Anita Anantharam, Dr. Florence Babb, and Dr. Stephanie Evans during my time at UF.
I encourage any of our graduates and undergraduates to take full advantage of all the Center has to offer by attending guest lectures, signing up for internships, doing service projects in the community and following your passions. The faculty and students in the Center are your biggest support network, and the relationships you forge along the way will stay with you – so make the most of it while you can!
This story appears in the Spring 2022 issue of the Gender, Sexualities, & Women’s Studies Newsletter. Read more from the issue.