MELODY DELAPPE

Administrative Assistant
Chancellor’s Office/Business Administration

Have you been affected by gender bias at work? How did you overcome the challenge?
Being a “Boomer” and a child of individuals who were born in 1911 and 1914 I had to overcome being raised by parents who felt that the highest career I could aspire to was to be a teacher, nurse or secretary.  This severely crippled my ability to set lofty goals for myself at an early age.  Although I graduated from WSU with a B.S. in Psychology, I still felt that I had limited options.  It wasn’t until I was in my mid-30’s that I began to realize that I could do more if I wanted to.  By then I was raising small children, and returning to college full-time was not an option I felt I could manage.  Fast forward to the time that my children were grown and I was trying to change careers from PreK teacher to Administrative Professional – I hit the ‘invisible’ glass ceiling that women in their 50’s discover is far too prevalent in the workplace even today.  Key to my success in overcoming the hidden gender/age bias was not giving up.  I not only continued to apply for positions I was interested in (a full-time job in and of itself), I took classes at the local community college and started my own photography business to fill in the gaps until I was hired to my current position in Higher Education.

What advice do you have for young women thinking about their careers?
Gain as much education for yourself as possible, choosing that which you have a passion for rather than that which you think will earn you the most coin.  You don’t want to spend 30-40 years in an area of focus when you would rather be doing something else.  You can always change your career path, but it’s nice to start with what you think you want to do rather that what you think you ought to do.  In addition, remember that while a Bachelor’s degree is important, a Master’s and Ph.D. will open more doors, increase your ability to promote and advance your career goals, and give you the ability to negotiate a higher salary whether working for yourself or others

What woman in your life most inspires you? Why?
I cannot pick just one.  Any woman who creates a goal for herself and sees it through to the fulfillment of that goal inspires me.  Women who get up to face the day when they are overwhelmed by the challenges that face them, and continue to do so day after day until they have made the changes they need to improve their lives inspire me.  Women who choose to nurture and support other women rather than tear them down are role models for me.  Women who risk being vulnerable to help others are my heroes.  Women who choose kindness over ruthlessness will invoke my loyalty.  Women who focus on making the world a better place whether that be through their workplace, their families, or their communities, will always inspire me.