This is the first installment in the weekly Honored Role Series. Odessa Maxwell is the story of a soldier turned poet. A study of complexities and contrasts, Odessa Maxwell describes herself as an unusual woman. Born in Germany to a Japanese mother and African-American father, Odessa grew up in the south. The family settled in…
Akin to many women, I wear a myriad of “hats and coats”, including mom, wife, daughter, friend, writer, volunteer, and outdoor enthusiast. I am inspired often by the actions, involvement, excitement and stories of women I meet. Daily, I am reminded of the impact women make in other people’s lives. They bridge past, present and…
January 20, 2009 dawned as a day filled with anticipation, excitement, hope and celebration as Barack Obama was sworn into office as our 44th president. It was a great day for America. And for most of it, with the exception of a workout, I sat planted firmly in front of a television with laptop and…
The topic of women in combat remains controversial. Conventional wisdom and current law prevent women, no matter how able, from serving in units with direct offensive combat missions — Infantry, Armor, Artillery and Special Forces. The justifications for this exclusion include that women are not fit for combat and battlefield stress because they lack the…
Often I encourage young girls as well as my middle-aged friends to always be on the look out for women role models. Role models provide us a renewed sense of optimism and increase our confidence in our own ability to succeed. Role models set examples for us and our daughters. Their actions and words demonstrate…
It’s a bad girl’s world and good role models for young girls are difficult to find, or so the media would have us believe. Americans are bombarded with images of women to sell everything from beer to cars. Meanwhile, young women searching for role models may have difficulty seeing past the “sex sells” mentality that…