Working Women Wednesday
It’s 2021 and we still are celebrating awesome women through our Working Women Wednesday blog series. For 2021 we did decide to feature one woman a month instead of each week. If you didn’t get to check out the previous women please take time to read the blogs for Dr. Almaz Getachew, Taj Sudderth, DJ Williams, and Tamera Gethers. This week we will highlight Mrs. Cristen Jones.
Cristen is originally from a small town in NC. Like many North Carolinians, Cristen stayed in the state to advance her education. She attended two of our amazing HBCUs, Winston Salem State University (Psychology) and NC Agricultural & Technical State University (Adult Education). After graduating from NC A&T, she started her career in Higher Education and has remained in that field for the past 12 years. She currently resides in Washington DC with her husband Mike Jones and daughter Londen.
How has COVID19 impacted you?
COVID has impacted us all in various ways. For me, it took away my daughter’s ability to graduate from Pre-K and attend her first day of Kindergarten. For me, it allowed me to experience working from home, something I have wanted to do for some time. It also allowed me to spend more time with my family, time I didn’t have pre-COVID. While I was working, I experienced long work hours like most and it made it difficult to have a true work-life balance, something I think is important. In October, I resigned to spend more time with my family.
What woman inspires you and why?
Michelle Obama because I like the way she carries herself and she is not afraid of being who she is which, is smart and classy. I also like that she is not afraid to speak her mind. Another woman I am inspired by and admire is Harriet Tubman because of her braveness and boldness. I think as women we should have all of the qualities of these amazing women.
What does a Saturday morning look like for you, how do you relax, and how do you maintain a work-life balance?
My daughter Londen keeps me busy, so you would probably find me at one of her dance practices then rushing home to host my Parent Cafe. Parent Cafés provides a safe, non-judgmental opportunity for parents and caregivers to engage in conversations about what it means to keep children safe and families strong, while also building parent leadership. With a schedule like mine, finding time to relax is important so I take baths, do facials because I am a Mary Kay Consultant, and watch reality TV. As it relates to work-life balance I am not opposed to putting in a lot of hours but I do think you need to take time off. I recommend that people try to balance their week.
Tell me about your role at your organization. Include information about your staff and the challenges you face.
I was a Campus Director at a for-profit educational institution. I oversaw admissions, financial aid, audits, student affairs complaints, liaison for student affairs, and training for the institution with admissions officers and admissions managers. I had a diverse staff of 8. The challenges I faced were competitiveness and not enough upward mobility.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to females in leadership and do you think these issues are different from women of color?
People do not understand women and think that we are emotional. They do not want us to move up as high as we can because they think we will make decisions based on emotion. I do believe that women of color experience some of the same barriers but I do think they have additional barriers because they are women of color. For women of color, the fact that they are women can play a factor in their experiences within an organization. Women of color have to worry about making sure people have not taken offense to their actions or their words and they oftentimes can’t fully be who they are because of fear of what others may think of them. In my industry, women of color aren’t always promoted. It seems like it is a club, there is a certain type of woman they look to recruit and hire.
What do you think are the top 3 challenges women of color face in the workplace?
In higher education, the top 3 challenges women of color face in the workplace are 1) they are put in a box; 2) when hired some don’t believe they were hired based on qualifications but hired because of other reasons, and 3) feeling like they have to go with the status quo to avoid conflict, etc.
What are things you believe need to change in your field as it relates to women of color in leadership roles?
I think in higher education we need to see more women of color in all levels of leadership. Having a diverse population makes the institution more well-rounded when making decisions that impact the campus community. Institutions need to focus on equitable practices in hiring and performance reviews when considering women of color.
What would you tell a younger you trying to get to where you are today?
I would tell a younger me not to second guess yourself and strike faster/pull the trigger sooner on things. If I think about my last role I either should have transitioned to corporate or left sooner than I did.
What advice would you give women trying to get into your field?
Make sure you are passionate about education and make sure this is something you really want to do. I would recommend that women of color be confident and don’t be shy. Finally, pat yourself on the back so you can have a seat at the table with other powerful men and women.
I hope you all enjoyed learning more about Mrs. Cristen Jones. Our next blog will be posted on February 17 and we will be highlighting Ultra Bliss Beauty Founder/CEO Kei Ross. Please share with a friend or if you are interested in being featured please contact us.
XOXO,
Keisha J.
