Jean Ambrose’s Journey to Confidence By J1 Reprter Matilda Lang Mrs. Jean Ambrose, the mother of one of my best friends, is a person you meet and never forget. Anytime I enter the Ambrose house, something is going on. It definitely makes my house seem boring. When you enter, Diesel, one of their dogs, is probably taking his laps in the backyard. Mrs. Ambrose is looking for something or running around the house. Mr. Ambrose is having me fix the t.v. or having Mary, one of their three daughters, explain how to access his soccer tickets.There is never a dull moment at the Ambrose household. Whether Mrs. Ambrose is stopping in the middle of the road because she sees a street sign that says Jean. Or trying to buy everyone food and never finishing it (especially slushes), she is definitely someone who makes everyone laugh and feel welcomed. So how did Ambrose grow into the entertaining person she is today? She faced her share of challenges, but overcame them. Being one of the only female lawyers in her firm, Jean Ambrose experienced the disadvantage of being a woman in a very male-dominated field. Notre Dame Law School could only prepare Ambrose so much before she faced the reality of being a new female lawyer. Fresh out of college, Ambrose joined her first
practice. As she adjusted to this new work dynamic, she noticed the sexism first hand. “You often hear about sexism in the workplace ,but it’s completely different when you witness it.” Ambrose felt out of place, “I felt like I couldn’t contribute to a lot of the conversations the men had, especially about football.” The women weren’t inclusive either. “The few women that were in the practice were so focused on getting themselves to the top. So much so they weren’t willing to help those around them.” Ambrose expected more support from the women in the firm. Not every woman was like this, but it occurred more than one would think. “The whole women-supporting- women wasn’t a prominent thing at this time.” Ambrose had to navigate the struggles of being a new
young woman in a law position in the 90s. She worked tirelessly to gain respect from her coworkers. When it came to how men in the firm viewed Ambrose, they thought of her as a daughter, not an equal coworker. Being surrounded by men and the sexism that occured made Ambrose uncomfortable. Ambrose said it was a lot different in terms of how workforces are run today. She is glad to see more emphasis on supporting the younger generation as they enter the workforce. A piece of advice that Ambrose would give to those struggling with the pressure of the questions: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? What’s your major? is: “Find something you enjoy, find where you would thrive. Ambrose said. “Job shadow as much as you can to get insight on what the occupation is really like. Lastly, don’t worry. It all comes together.” Ambrose has two of her
Being one of the only female lawyers in her firm, Jean Ambrose experienced the disadvantage of being a woman in a very maledominated field.
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four children currently in college and the other two are still in high school. She emphasizes to her kids not to worry. So how did Ambrose persevere and gain confidence? She turned to support from family and friends. Ambrose’s grandma, who she called Grandma K,was a huge influence and inspiration to Ambrose. A lot of confidence that Ambrose has today is from her faith in God. Over the years Ambrose learned the importance of letting God take the lead. “When I stopped caring about every little detail, I realized a lot of my worries disappeared.” “Everyone is carrying their invisible backpacks,” she said. Everyone has burdens they are carrying that people can’t see. Ambrose stressed the importance of recognizing that you never know what someone is going through and it is important to be kind to all. Jean Ambrose ended up keeping her law license throughout being a stay- athome mom. She would do legal stuff here and there, but she focused on raising her children. The outgoing and fun person Ambrose reminds those around her to life to the fullest and not take life too seriously.
