Photos courtesy of The American Association of University Women
For 90 years, the American Association of University Women has continued to empower, encourage and support graduate women in the Westerville area through an active and tight-knit group.
The AAUW remains one of the world’s largest sources of funding exclusively for graduate women and continues to fight sex discrimination at all levels of education. Within the Westerville community, it provides scholarship opportunities and, most importantly, education to members.
Westerville resident Janice Eddey first found out about this organization when she graduated from high school in San Luis Valley, Colorado.
“They invited all the valedictorians to a lunch and congratulated us, and at that point I had never heard of them,” Eddey says. “I told myself after that meeting, if I ever graduated college, I wanted to become a member.”
Eddey stuck to her word and has been a chartered member since 1966 – yes, she’s been a member for more than 50 years. She’s served in a number of leadership positions including secretary, president and treasurer, a role she had for 13 years and only recently relinquished.
“My first interest in AAUW was the fact that they were trying to empower women,” Eddey says. “That has been the major goal all this time.”
Community Support
It’s no secret how much Eddey enjoys and believes in the work that the Westerville branch of the AAUW does throughout the year. Recently, the organization started allowing those with an associate’s degree to join in hopes of boosting membership and participation.
The meetings are where Eddey says members will find the most benefit. She is a firm believer in the power relationships within the group carry.
“They send a message that you need to continue learning your whole life,” Eddey says. “Every single time I’ve been to a meeting, I always come home saying, ‘This is some place I can continue to learn at.’”
The AAUW provides scholarships to three high school seniors in the Westerville community every year and sends an additional two students to the Be WISE Camp.
The camp is geared toward girls entering seventh or eighth grade in September. It’s a week-long residential camp held at Denison University and features programs and activities in math and science.
In order to support these programs, the AAUW fundraises throughout the year.
While celebrating 90 years is an amazing achievement and Eddey remains grateful for the continued efforts, she’s not wasting too much time celebrating. After all, there’s still work to be done.
“Ninety years is great, but we hope to continue this work a lot longer,” Eddey says. “We hope to continue our service to Westerville and continue to empower women here and throughout the country.”
Rocco Falleti is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com
