Meet Erin Shannon, a junior who is one of the Executive Chairs of Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL), and a board member of the Women’s Center. Shannon recently wrote an article for her Feminist Theory class last spring about how Disney Princesses, specifically Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora, teach young girls how to be feminine. Her article is now in the copyediting process and on it’s way to becoming published.
When asked how she feels about this Shannon exclaimed “I want to be a professor, and this publication is a huge step towards achieving my dream. It’s exciting!”
Shannon also took part in The Vagina Monologues, an event that WILL holds every year around Valentine’s Day (V-Day) to help end violence against women and girls. They feature students from campus reading monologues about sexuality, bodies and empowerment. She performed two of the most controversial monologues and had everyone on the edge of their seats to hear more.
“It’s a very emotional event, and I attribute my passion of ending gender-based violence in part to my involvement with The Vagina Monologues.” This was her third year participating in the monologues.
Shannon explains how WILL has shaped her in so many positive ways. “I’ve grown as a person because I’m constantly surrounded by smart, encouraging, ambitious women. I have also learned a lot about systems of privilege and oppression in the Women’s and Gender Studies minor classes, and even made it my second major as a first year student.”
Along with her WILL responsibilities, Shannon also juggles being the Coordinator of Programming and Outreach for the Student Taskforce Against Sexual Violence and Gender Discrimination, an Ambassador, a sister of Sigma Sigma Sigma and a member of the Community Standards Board and the All College Standards Board.
“I am now heavily involved in combating sexual and gender-based violence on campus, and plan to continue doing that for the rest of my life. I would not be the person I am today if it wasn’t for WILL.”
We should expect to hear many more great things about Erin Shannon in the future as she heads into her senior year here at TCNJ. Her name, along with her bright red hair, can be spotted all around campus and she never seizes to amaze us with her involvement in the TCNJ community.