‘We left as sisters’

Group of students, faculty and staff bond during International Women of Power event

By California State University, Bakersfield

September 22^nd, 2023

A group of California State University, Bakersfield students, faculty and staff from the Black Educator Teacher Residency (BETR) came back to campus inspired and with more confidence after attending an International Women in Power luncheon last month.

Dr. Bre Evans-Santiago — associate professor and chair of the Teacher Education Department — took several students, two staff and a faculty member to the Los Angeles event on Aug. 27. It honored and celebrated Black women and showcased women who have become successful leaders in their fields.

“This event acknowledged that women are making an impact and change throughout the world,” she said. “I thought it was important for these women teachers to be a part of that space, to celebrate with one another and to learn from one another. I want them to feel important and powerful.”

International Women of Power brought together for the first time Bakersfield and Antelope Valley students who are in BETR, which was established last year as part of an effort to develop a more diverse pool of educators. The students work directly in TK-9 schools.

“This event brought us together and allowed us to connect within our residency,” Dr. Evans-Santiago said. “We were able to share stories and develop a fellowship. Some of them wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for this event. We left as sisters.”

Felicia Boyd, who has been in the residency since January, said getting to know the other residents was a highlight of the trip.

“I enjoyed meeting the other girls in the program and getting to collaborate with them,” she said. “It was also nice and very encouraging to see other Black educators at the event.”

Dr. Evans-Santiago believes the International Women of Power event was a great way for the group to receive encouragement and empowerment to help propel them through the residency while also being an opportunity for them to represent CSUB outside of campus.

“It was really energizing for me seeing these teachers feel so valued,” she said. “They were so proud to be who they are. They were proud to be Black women. They felt strong, and I could see it.”

Dr. Evans-Santiago personally appreciated seeing women in authoritative positions at the event and that it gave her a sense of belonging.

“There was no concern or question of who I was or who I represented. That day I was a Black queen like everyone else, and it felt really good,” she said. “It’s a reminder of what it takes for us to move forward and that we have to do it together. We can’t be on this journey alone. We have to build each other up.”

Dr. Evans-Santiago hopes that getting to hear from and interact with other attendees at the event will inspire the students to not just stop at becoming a teacher but consider setting higher goals for themselves, including moving into administrative positions or pursuing a master’s degree.

“I hope it opened their eyes to more possibilities,” she said. “I’m hoping that they build off the foundation these women have set for them, that they can see they have resilience and that they can move in spaces that didn’t always welcome Black women. I hope this gave them the encouragement to keep going when it gets hard, to dig deeper and to follow their dreams.”