Hillary didn’t break the glass ceiling, but I still can
Clinton may have lost the election, but women can still win the war
On November 8th, I cast my ballot for Hillary Rodham Clinton. She did not win the election, but rather than waking up in the morning full of hatred and bitterness, I woke up feeling inspired. Hillary Clinton, although not elected President, gave women a new optimism about what they can aspire to be. This ambition was given to me as well.
Silly little girl, firefighting is for boys
Yes, I played with Barbie Dolls and Polly Pockets. Yes, I dressed up like a princess and owned a pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers. But when I was a little girl, I wanted to be a firefighter.
I accredit this aspiration to my babysitter Linda’s husband, Jimmy. Linda babysat for the “teacher’s kids” — those of us whose parents worked in the school district — and Jimmy was a firefighter. I spent my childhood looking forward to trips to the firehouse and rides on the firetruck. Together, Linda and Jimmy had a son named Dusty and a daughter named Abbie. I looked up to them. Dusty followed in his father’s footsteps and became a firefighter; Abby married one. While the men grew up to become firefighters, the women – Abby, and Dusty’s wife Jessica – both attended four-year universities and pursued careers in Education.
“9-11, What’s your emergency?”
From a young age, my parents taught me that I could be anything that I wanted to be. However, as I grew up, I began to recognize that it was uncommon for a female to be a firefighter. I was still too young to understand the social significance of this realization: little did I know society had pre-determined my fate as a female firefighter. It was only an amount of time until I find out that, due to the social constructs surrounding gender, being a firefighter was not an option. Eventually my hobbies and interests changed, and in 6th grade, when they make you complete those career cluster assignments that no one seems to take seriously? I set my sights on a career in Forensics.
No, I do not want to be a police officer
Since then, my heart has barely wavered. I applied to The Ohio State University as a Biology/Pre-Med. major and was determined to become a medical examiner. Now I am double-majoring in Criminology and Journalism and minoring in Security & Intelligence. After my second Introduction to Criminal Justice lecture, I texted my high school Mock Trial advisor and AP-Government teacher to say, “Thank you.” If it was not for her, I would have never known how interested I was in the criminal justice system. I added the Journalism major in preparation for law school. This semester, I took Sociology of Terrorism, and in September, I added the Security and Intelligence minor.
Typically, when you tell someone that you are majoring in Criminology, they assume that you want to enter the police academy upon graduation. But I am going to live to tell a different story.
Shatter the glass ceiling
In August 1987, Hillary was selected as the first Chair of the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession. Hillary Rodham Clinton changed the face of the legal profession, allowing ease of access for women to careers in law.
Following her Concession Speech on Wednesday, November 9th, Clinton tweeted:
One day, I hope to live and work in Washington D.C. and Hillary Clinton’s loss did anything but cause me to lose hope. Because of her resilience and tenacity, I too believe that regardless of my gender, I can hold one of the highest ranking government positions in the world.
I can be the White House Press Secretary or work in the Counterterrorism Division of the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Yes, I am female. And yes, I can, and I will, shatter the highest and hardest glass ceiling.