You Are Marquette with Kristina Callahan
In this episode our host Sheena Carey talks to Kristina Callahan, Residence Hall Director, graduate student in the MBA program, set to complete this summer. Kristina identifies as a Hispanic Latino woman and she shares her story.
Episode Highlights:
03:15 – My mom is a strong independent woman who said: Education is the one thing that no one can take away from you. And I held on to that.
03:58 - My campus tour was looking for a job. The only priority I had was: which building was the cheapest to live in and where can I find a job.
06:08 – My college experience was shaped by me trying to figure out who is Marquette, and should I be here and can I be here.
12:00 – There’s tons of women of color who are fighting the fight, who are showing us how to take care of ourselves, who are reminding us that we matter.
18:15 – You are Marquette, it does not matter your race, your ethnicity, your religion, your background, your experiences. You are here for a reason.
Interview:
01:14 - What is the story you’d like to share today? – I’d like to share the story of how I got onto my path.
01:27 – How do you identify? – I am Hispanic Latino woman.
01:32 – Where do you come from? – I come from strong independent women, from a long line of loud Hispanic families and a biracial divided household.
01:55 – Are you bilingual as well? – No. I understand it. It’s something I want to work on.
03:00 – How does your identity form the choices that you’ve made or the path that you’ve taken? – Working multiple jobs, working late hours, and not having the typical Marquette experience made me understand some of the challenges that happen on our campus.
07:35 – As a graduate student now, do you feel any more Marquette? – I wish I can say yes. I think it’s hard.
08:09 – In what way does the theme of the mural project resonate for you? – To me it’s finally seeing myself on campus.
09:07 – What do you feel has been Marquette’s impact on women of color? – I have had wonderful mentors at Marquette. I found the RA position; I found the office of residence life and that shaped my career.
10:30 – What about your sense of self-worth. In what ways has Marquette impacted that? – I think it’s taking me a long time to come to terms that I get to be Marquette and I can still be upset that we’re not where we need to be.
11:45 – What women of color have served as inspiration for you? – Michelle Obama, AOC, Sonia Mayor, the list is endless.
12:10 – As a woman of color, what impact would you like to have on other women of color? – I want them to know they are not alone. They do not have to fight this battle alone.
13:20 – What are your hopes for the future? – We need to first recognize the harm before we can move forward.
14:15 – What are the ways in which Marquette can acknowledge and in fact own what they’ve learned? – They have just to say it, to acknowledge that we are not the safe campus.
15:57 – Do you think the Marquette has the infrastructure needed to address this issue? – No, this week, and many other weeks have highlighted that.
17:45 – What would you like our community to know about you and your journey? – I’m here. I’m here if you need someone.
Contact information:
Jacki Black
pronouns: she/her/hers
Associate Director for Hispanic Initiatives
Marquette University
454 Zilber Hall | PO Box 1881 | Milwaukee, WI 53201
414-288-4118
http://www.marquette.edu/diversity/
Credits:
The Our Roots Say That We're Sisters Podcast series was recorded and produced by Podcast Town (www.podcasttown.net)
