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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Maria Contreras-Lerma
Moffett Library Custodian
Contreras was born and raised in Julimes, Mexico. She came to the United States when she was 16 years-old in search of a better life. In May, Contreras will mark her 15th anniversary working for MSU. She is the daughter of Mexican farmers and comes from a family of six sisters and five brothers. Contreras’s dad also traveled back and forth to the United States for work when she was a child, leaving her mother to take care of the farm and field work. Contreras got her strong work ethic from her mother, who reminded her that one should always be dedicated to their job, no matter what it is.
“She took care of all of us but all of us also helped her. She would work at home but she would also take care of field work. Sometimes she would take some of us with her to work when we were little. She would pick things like peanuts and chiles. She would also let us help her feed the animals. She was always a very hard worker,” Contreras said. Contreras’s assigned building is Moffett Library but she has worked in various buildings across campus throughout her many years at MSU. She said she enjoys working in the library because everyone there is very kind and helpful. She also said that being a woman means being a symbol to others.
“Being a woman means being a symbol of strength and bravery and to persevere in any situation,” Contreras said.
Jessica Hulett
Assistant to Dean of Fain Fine Arts College
Hulett grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and graduated from high school in Vegas. From there, she got her certification in HR management from the University of Phoenix. This upcoming June, Hulett will have lived in Texas for 12 years. She said her better half is what brought her to Texas. “I met my better half in Vegas. We met one night at a country dance club... the night I met him, I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. He was in the Air Force and once he retired we settled here in Wichita Falls. My first job in Wichita was as a leasing agent for an apartment complex. I then later managed a complex myself and eventually got burned out by doing so. When I first came to work for MSU, I actually worked at the bookstore and then one day saw a job posting to be the secretary of [the] mass communication and theater department,” Hulett said. When she left the interview, she didn’t think she would get a call back. Hulett said she felt she wasn’t intellectual enough for the job. “I just wasn’t convinced that they were going to hire me... then three days later I received the phone call that the department was wanting to give me the position. I love the stability of MSU. I love the building I work in. It has such a good positive feeling to it and honestly every day I am excited to be here and work with the people that I work with; it makes my heart happy.”
Assistant Professor of Musical Theater & Acting
Mallory is the assistant professor of musical theater and acting at MSU. Originally from Idaho, she has enjoyed living in states such as Utah and California. A fun fact about Mallory is that she is six feet tall. She decided to be a teacher because she enjoys helping people reach goals safely and success fully. Her favorite aspect about MSU is the support given to faculty and students to create a safe space to explore creativity, possibili ties and a sense of community. Mallory loves that Women’s History Month focuses on women and lifting them up. She hopes that this month can be used to celebrate success and provide opportunities. “We very much need to be a positive mirror for each other and showcase what beautiful creatures we are,” Mallory said. The woman that inspires her most is her grandmother, a firm and well-spoken woman who achieves her goals despite societal gender norms. Morgan Mallory wishes to impact other women by encouraging the empowerment of differences. She believes that this can be accomplished by suggesting women for opportunities, placing them in roles usually held by men and being unafraid to speak up. “We are strong individually, but together imagine what we could accomplish?” Mallory said.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Assistant Professor of Musical Theater & Acting
allory is the assistant professor of musical theater and acting at MSU. Originally from Idaho, she has enjoyed living in states such as Utah and California. A fun fact about Mallory is that she is six feet tall. She decided to be a teacher because she enjoys helping people reach goals safely and successfully. Her favorite aspect about MSU is the support given to faculty and students to create a safe space to explore creativity, possibilities and a sense of community. Mallory loves that Women’s History Month focuses on women and lifting them up. She hopes that this month can be used to celebrate success and provide opportunities.
“We very much need to be a positive mirror for each other and showcase what beautiful creatures we are,” Mallory said. The woman that inspires her most is her grandmother, a firm and well-spoken woman who achieves her goals despite societal gender norms. Morgan Mallory wishes to impact other women by encouraging the empowerment of differences. She believes that this can be accomplished by suggesting women for opportunities, placing them in roles usually held by men and being unafraid to
“We are strong individually, but together imagine what we
Kirsten Lodge
Professor of English
Lodge grew up in New Paltz, New York. She is now a literary translator for Broadview Press and has been teaching at MSU for over 10 years. Lodge has never allowed an individual’s or society’s view of who a woman should be to define her career path and life goals. “My ex-husband seemed fine with my academic ambitions until it came down to attending graduate school. At that point, he unexpectedly declared that he wanted to be the money-maker in the relationship and that I should stay home, raise children and entertain guests from his law firm. To stay true to myself, I had no choice but to leave him to go to graduate school at Columbia. I knew that I could not be happy otherwise,” Lodge said. Lodge believes in the significance of women’s history month and is proud of her fellow women from different walks of life. She is a proud feminist and advocates for the belief that women can and should be whatever they want.
“I think the world is making progress in recognizing women of significance in every field, and we must continue to do so. There are many great women writers, artists, and thinkers who have been lost to history, and we must continue to recover and celebrate their achievements, as well as the achievements of women today. We will thus encourage women to strive for greatness in every field.” Lodge said.
Lisa Thames
TV Studio Director
Thames started working as TV studio director in 2009 after a mass communication professor recommended she apply for the position. Thames’ favorite part of the job is working with the mass communication students. She said that she was inspired seeing her mother raise a family and work at the same time.
“Anytime you can see a woman being successful in her career or even just a regular job, it’s always exciting. We’re still fighting to be considered equal. We have more opportunities than we used to but by no means are we equal to men. We don’t get paid the same for the same job. We don’t get taken as seriously,” Thames said. Thames said that for women, it’s often a matter of “when” and not “if” they are sexually harassed or discriminated against. She offered encouragements for other women who experience harassment and discrimination in their fields.
“You’ve got to stick up for yourself as hard as that is, and it’s very, very hard. Especially in the moment, to react the way that you wish that you would, but it’s important to continue on,” Thames said. “You deserve to be where you are. You’re working hard for where you are. You’re not given anything just because you’re a woman. No one is going to take it easy on you and you don’t want it to be like that. You don’t want to be given anything. You want to work for what you have so you can have that pride within yourself,”
