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College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Women of FHSS
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Join our Student and Alumni LinkedIn Community
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Follow the Women of FHSS YouTube Channel
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Watch Videos from our Kick-off Panel
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Get Involved, Request to be Interviewed, Volunteer
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Dixie Sevison Discusses Women, Life, and Career
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Highlighted Research: Factors Impacting Decisions, Success, and Fulfillment
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Watch 2021 BYU Women's Conference
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Women of FHSS logo
Women of FHSS logo


OUR MISSION

The Mission of Women of FHSS is to foster an environment in the college where all women in FHSS majors thrive and are encouraged to identify and pursue educational and career opportunities, enabling them to uniquely distinguish themselves to achieve any possibility.
Messages to Women
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GWYN YUKON
Gwyn Yukon, a graduate of BYU Sociology, offers advice and encourages students to embrace the ambiguity and realize that while education prepares individuals for their futures, staying open to other opportunities is really what will help women find fulfilling pathways. As someone with an introverted personality, she discusses how she was able to embrace multiple parts of her identity in order to move toward personal goals, all while overcoming and reframing varying cultural and personal biases. She encourages listeners to be gentle with themselves if they feel they are failing, or if the idea of contributing to society fills them with guilt. "Your aspirations, whether they are the norm of the current culture or not, are still amazing aspirations."

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SHELBY MCNEILL
Shelby McNeill, PhD student studying data analysis & education policy at Vanderbilt University, graduated from BYU in Sociology. Shelby talks about how she dropped out of her MIT undergraduate program unsure about what she wanted to pursue, discusses her triumphs in managing her mental health, how she has been able to realize her dreams, talks about how she and her husband/partner have equally supported and sacrificed to achieve what they are feeling guided to do. Shelby talks about the value of mentors in her life and encourages students to seek mentorships as they make important decisions.

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SYDNEY MOGOTSI
Sydney Mogotsi, BYU alumna graduating in Anthropology and current Senior Program Officer at LDS Charities talks with students about her journey into a career that she loves. She talks about what she and her family did to adjust to family life and dual-career trajectory's, how she wishes she wouldn't have gotten so caught up on "what is my major" but rather understood how experiences are qualifying, and what she did to keep up her network - something she admits is a little harder for her to do. She also discusses how she finds joy when feeling stretched to her limits and overwhelmed.

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LESLIE HADFIELD
Leslie Hadfield, an associate professor of history and the coordinator of Africana Studies at BYU, encourages students to try out different things through internships or study abroad programs - like her experience in South Africa, where she gained insight into who she was amidst all the changing plans. While she had a desire to be married and have a family, she used an inspired formula to make decisions regarding her future as a professional and academic = finding opportunities and making the world a better place.

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FARINA KING
Farina King, citizen of the Navajo Nation, and Assistant Professor of History at Northeastern State University discusses how growing up in a household that focused on both matriarchy and patriarchy has shaped her views and helped her do the work she feels called to do. She also discusses why viewpoints on gender, masculinity, femininity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class exist, and gives advice on how individuals can understand one another in an effort to move toward community and harmony.

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DANEKA SOUBERBIELLE
Daneka Souberbielle, Master of Science in Sociology from BYU, and current Associate Provost of Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at SUU talks about how her relationship with Heavenly Father has led her to where she is, including understanding her spirituality and how this has influenced her identity as a black woman in the LDS faith, a wife in a multicultural marriage with a work-from-home husband and partner, and successful C-suite working mother of 3.

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ASHLEY MENDOZA
Ashley Mendoza, Pre-Health Advisor at the Preprofessional Advisement Center at BYU talks about how faith has played an active role in her decision to pursue higher education and career, what women can do to "lean in" to their own self-confidence as they pursue opportunities specific to their situations, and her advice to women when life turns out differently than originally anticipated.

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CHRISTY TAYLOR
Christy Taylor, Senior Technical Developer at Nike talks about her journey entering the fashion design industry, how she has been able to balance children, family, church callings, and a career she loves that takes her all over the world.

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TANAN YESUNMUNKH
Tanan Yesunmunkh, Account Executive at Qualtrics, talks about the value of exploring and trying new things in order to find opportunities, how she was able to put off being shy, resulting in her personal and professional growth in a field she never thought she would enjoy so much.

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TANIA BARR
Tania Barr, a Development Counselor for the church and former international student at BYU, talks about how she uses personal revelation and support from home and work to achieve her goals, and how even though she wants to be a mother more than anything, she has developed a strong love for what she does.

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RAENI SROUFE
Raeni Sroufe, Manager of Global Business Solutions at Women for Women International (WfWI), talks about taking initiative in her mentored experiences, learning how to advocate for herself, choosing a supportive partner, and acting with faith.

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SARA GORDON
Sara Gordon, Solution Architect at Qualtrics discusses her path to finding a career, helping her become more confident in all areas of her life, and how pursuing sales role with a BA in Psychology was difficult at first, but has led her to find things she loves for an organization she loves.

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ANNA MURPHY
Anna Murphy, a BYU graduate of Political Science, and Associate of Business & Program Development at the Milken Institute (MI) talks about her decision to pursue a career, what she did to make sure she was on the right track during her undergraduate studies, and how she approaches the learning curve.

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PHOEBE KUNG
Phoebe Kung, a Psychology undergrad and Master of Social Work graduate of BYU, and Development Counselor with the Church, talks about what propelled her to continue her education and pursue her career, explaining the pivotal conversations and support from mentors, and how she is fulfilling her desire to impact those around her.

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EMILY WHITE
Emily is a non-traditional student, returning since she began her degree in 2002. Emily spent 12 years as a stay-at-home mom and talks about her decision to return to school, the juggling and sacrifices that are being made for her to reach her goals, and how she and her family actively use prayer as they reach their individual and family goals.

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MARIE FUHRIMAN
Marie Fuhriman, who received her degree from BYU in History with an Associate of Home Economics from BYU-Idaho, discusses how her education prepared her to be a life learner, what she does to remember her value as a stay-at-home mom, how she dispels this idea of "just a mom", and tackles the discussion of shame-culture around women who work.

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BARBARA MECHAM
Barbara Mecham, a non-traditional student at BYU studying Family Consumer Sciences Education, and mother of triplets, discusses how she was able to find her own divine nature navigating her circumstances and choices, how she has learned to allow some things to fall in order to keep others afloat, the amazing support she has from her family, and her advice of not being afraid to fully embrace womanhood.

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Connect With Us
Connect With Us

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Sarah Reed

Assistant Professor

History/Family History

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Scott Sanders

Associate Professor

Sociology

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Lindsey Blau
Lindsey Blau

Lindsey Blau

Academic Advisor and Professional Development Manager

Questions, Comments, Concerns? Please contact Lindsey Blau.

Relevant Organizations and Work
Supporting Organizations
Supporting Organizations
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Research
Research
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ABOUT US
WHAT WE DO
WHY WE STARTED
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WHAT WE DO
We aim to develop practices and programs (partnering with other entities when appropriate) that will help students identify and develop a deep understanding of career development experiences, promoting conversations that sustain fairness and equity as they seek multiple applications of a BYU education.
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WHY WE STARTED

National studies show that students often face particular gendered obstacles as they navigate the academic landscape, consider opportunities, and make important educational and career decisions. Female students at BYU face unique challenges because of religious and cultural ideas. In a Salt Lake Tribune article in 2018, the Utah Women’s Leadership Project reports that, “Utah’s female college and university students are more likely to end up in the “some college, no degree” category of educational statistics, and to self-select into lower-paying fields.”