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Mount Mercy Women in Social Sciences Program provides invaluable experiences

Nov 4, 2018 | In the News

Mount Mercy Academy’s Women in Social Sciences Program is off and running in its first full year. The students in the program have had the opportunity to interact with three strong female role models.

The first experience was the opportunity to interact with two guest speakers. Katie Burd, the Buffalo area representative of Women Elect, a non-partisan group dedicated to increasing the number of women running for office in Erie County, spoke to the students about her organization and its goals. Burd is an elected member of the Kenmore Village Board.

The second speaker was Angela Marinucci. She is running for Erie County Clerk with the support of Women Elect. She spoke about what it is like to run for office and how her Catholic faith has been a part of her decision.

The goal of the visit was to educate the students about the number of women involved in politics and why it is important to increase the number of women in leadership positions. The speakers also informed the students about the challenges and triumphs of running for office.

“I found it interesting to learn how long the process of deciding to run and then acting on that decision actually takes,” junior Olivia Larson (Orchard Park) commented. “It was also enlightening to learn how important the support of the family is when campaigning.”

Next the students in the Women in Social Sciences Program had the privilege of listening to Special Agent Desiree Smith. Agent Smith is a recruiter for the FBI – Baltimore Division. She spoke to the students about careers within the FBI as well as the opportunities for internships with the FBI. She gave the students important practical advice that they can use to pursue a career in the FBI.

“Agent Smith was very interesting and very passionate about her career,” junior Xoie Ferrentino (West Seneca) remarked. “She made it clear that there are many different college majors and paths to take for a possible career with the FBI and that there are many different fields within the agency.”

The students will continue to have additional experiences and opportunities throughout the year.

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