Stories
Explore women’s perspectives on their lives.
“Our mission is to showcase how intelligence and beauty can both exist in women. We strive to redefine what it means to be a woman in today's world.”
“I have always viewed myself as a very independent woman, and because of this I was not prone to asking others for help. I wanted to solve issues on my own.
A turning point in my life is the fact that I am raising 2 kids all by myself. My kid’s father passed away 10 years ago. I have roles as a mother, father, a boss, and a coworker. I have to balance being a good cop and a bad cop for my kids. Because of these demands, I can’t help myself live a busy life. I feel like I am missing something when I do not put in as much effort as I work towards my children. Some might think that working gives an excuse to be less focused on my children—and that’s ok. But I would much rather be exhausted from constantly working two roles as a mom and a boss than live an easy life where I throw away some of my responsibilities. I feel more fulfilled in knowing that my efforts will allow my business and kids to grow.
But I don’t always think not being able to reach out for help is a good thing. I feel like I don’t ask for much help because I don’t want to put a burden on other people. You know, I know what it feels like to be asked to do something. I have to say I do want to complain and whine about hardships, but I always conclude that those are not necessary for solving the issue at hand. So instead of reaching out, I try my hardest to take matters into my own hands.
I don’t have a big dream like becoming president or something but I feel fulfillment in the way I was able to develop my career and live my life the way I feel best. I don’t have to fit myself into what other people feel. I used to only focus on the result and not the progress I made during it. Now, I feel like I’ve reached a point where I can focus on myself and the life I have with my family. I don’t worry that much about who I am and how I am perceived by others. I just want to pursue a life that makes me happy.”
Ju-Yeon Song
Josephine Moon
“It’s surprising that there are some similarities between making a scent and making a children’s book. There are many different so-called “ingredients” you put in to make one final product. They also have their own unique stories. They have their own messages and have the power to bring their own nostalgic memories back. I love these little bits about my job— it’s what makes my jobs fun.
As much as I love my job, there is nothing I will prioritize in my life other than my own family. You know, when I was your age I was also interviewing other people and I had the opportunity to interview my aunt, who is an amazing person. Something she said that stuck with me for all these years is how success and jobs are temporary, but family is permanent. I believe this is true.”
Ashley Song
“I currently work in the United Nations Secretariat in New York, where I have been writing internal policies since 2015. Before this, I was at UNESCO in Paris. One thing I’ve consistently prioritized is maintaining my Korean identity, even in international settings. I want to represent my country with pride, regardless of there I am or what languages I speak. This was something I expressed furing my interview at UNESCO, emphasizing that I always aim to carry the values and strengths of Korea—such as our intelligence, speed, and work ethic—to differentiate us in a positive way. I want my colleagues from other countries to experience these traits and appreciate working with Koreans because of their experience with me.
My interest in international relations began during my time living in Amsterdam from grades 5 to 11, where I was exposed to diverse cultures and opportunities. I later returned to Korea and studied at Yonsei Unitersity’s international college, majoring in international studies. I felt natural to pursue a career at the UN, even though I was the first from my program to do so. My unique background means that I’m often perceived differently—non-Korean in Korea, but distinctly Korean abroad. However I’ve learned that it’s essential to stay true to your core, no matter how people see you.
As a new mother, I’m now navigating the balance between work and family. Fortunately, the UN’s flexible schedule allows me to manage my career while also spending time with my family in Korea. Moving forward, balancing these responsibilities will be an ongoing journey.”
Anna Yum
“My life after my life as a college student is amazing. It’s almost easier than being a student because the only thing that matters in the office is my effort from 8 to 5. And when I am done with work, I don't have any assignments to do after as I did when I was a student. Living in New York, my time was definitely spent trying different things and experiences. After my work on Friday, for example, I have the remaining day and the entire weekend to…try a pottery class, go do pilates with my friends, get brunch with my friends, and more. It’s really a great time for me to explore some other interests that I have outside of work and my studies. I hope no one’s scared of becoming an adult because it truly is an amazing experience.
It’s a great privilege our generation has that they can pursue a career with the available resources around you. We live in a society where we can find almost everything online. It’s a lot easier to find information compared to some of the older generations when they were growing up— so take advantage of that. Continue to pursue what you want to do, and make the smartest, efficient decisions and you will be able to achieve your dreams. What truly matters no matter what field you choose to pursue in, is that people try figuring things out themselves. Help is everywhere so before you ask someone for help, people should give everything a try without anyone’s help. Whether they succeed or not, it’s still a great experience for one to learn.”
Nicole Rutigliano
“I want people to see the joy that volunteering brings. My journey of volunteering started when the woman I aspired to be like at work recommended me to start volunteering for Junior League of Bergen County. I immediately joined this community and fell in love with it. It brings me great happiness that my own efforts could put a smile on one’s face. I have now been in this community for 14 years and I don’t think about quitting- ever.”
Belinda Lopresti
“I am a big animal lover and I even volunteer at the local animal shelter. I actually have rescued animals. It’s something most people don’t know about me. You know, something I don’t make public. But at the end of the day things like these are something I do for myself. Not for anyone else.
Something really out of my career box is that I used to kickbox as a hobby a few years ago. Which I really loved- at that moment. I don’t think I could ever do hardcore training like that ever again. My work at that time was mentally very stressful for me and I needed to take it out somehow.
For anyone who is going through stressful times, I want to tell them that the best way to give yourself a break is to physically get away from the stressful environment. It might be an office, a classroom, your house, whatever it is, just go outside for a few minutes. Chat with your friends, your co-workers, your siblings, your parents, and give your mind a break from all the worry.”
Pamela Baker
“After my kids got older and I put myself back in the workforce, I dedicated myself to it. I was flying here and there with multiple projects and meetings. I was good, I felt good, and I felt like my life made more sense when I was working. Except my daughter was born with an underdeveloped lung and every time I arrived somewhere, my family would call me to tell me she was back in the hospital. I felt like a failure! Being at home wouldn’t let me focus on my work and being at work wouldn’t let me take care of my kids. I didn’t know what to do. That’s when I saw this young girl in our company giving this fantastic presentation and I knew she had 2 kids. I couldn’t help myself walk up to her and ask her how she managed everything so perfectly and effortlessly. She told me how she used to be an over-achiever like me. But she realized she’ll never feel satisfied with everything she does. So anytime she did an A+ worth of things at work, she wouldn’t expect herself to do the same back at home. Be an amazing mom and she won’t expect the same energy at work the next day. She started balancing her life. I thought, ‘what an amazing way to think about life.' Now I also strive to just be above average. To do my best but not always expect the best. To just do good and feel good.”
Silvia Gao
“During my 3rd year as an undergraduate, I planned to major in something different and get different internships than what I was majoring in: education in Chinese as a foreign language. I decided I wanted to work at a software company and stayed in that field for a couple of years. Software and technology is such a male dominated field that male co-workers always found it surprising to see a woman walking into their meeting or having a seat next to them. They assume we are the secretary, the assistant, and remark how our company hires beautiful girls. Just ridiculous comments. I think we just had to learn how to break the stereotypical idea that the IT field was only for men. I was a project manager and I learned how to manage people older than me, smarter than me, different than me- but it was never about the difference in gender or appearance. This job also helped me equip myself with skills that aren’t necessarily skills you can put on LinkedIn. Learning how to speak up for not only myself but for my team, push myself, push others, manage a whole team, prioritize things that are piled up on my plate, and also balance all those frequent and heavy meetings.
After being laid off from my previous job, I took the opportunity to reflect on my career path. I realized I didn’t want to do this same job for another 5 to 10 years. I was making a lot of money, but I felt sad all the time. I always loved biology, scuba diving, and fish. So I decided to study, again, but this time in marine biology (science). My past job was only for money and as I am going to soon graduate and get my first job related to marine science, I am confident that this new direction will be far more fulfilling for me.”
Genevieve Allard (Part 1)
“My life is divided into thirds: a prosecutor, a mother, and a law teacher. I grew up being very driven and ambitious due to my past experiences of being an all American High School swimmer. Being ‘goal oriented’ perfectly describes how I spent the first third of my life: as a prosecutor at the Bergen County prosecutors’ office.
The second phase of my life began when I became a mother. I wanted to be both a skilled prosecutor and also a present mother for my kids but it proved to be extremely difficult. I could no longer solely focus on my career and I boldly decided to quit my life as a prosecutor and prioritize what I really wanted to be: a mother. That’s how I spent another ten or so years of my life. It was amazing being a stay-at-home mother! I have been blessed to be able to spend time with my kids as they grow up and I even got to connect back with my love for sports by becoming a coach for kids’ sport teams.
After my son got into 8th grade and my daughter began 5th grade, my desire to work reignited. After deciding that I wanted to try becoming a teacher, I luckily became a law teacher at Bergen County Technical High School. It was perfect! It was a job that combined my prior career and my love I have for children.
My whole life, I was perceived as someone who is…strong. Somebody who is very clear of what is black and white, what is wrong and right. There is no gray area for me, or at least that’s what people think. The truth is, I think that I actually do and can live comfortably in a gray area. Being a parent and teacher really taught me this. Students make stupid mistakes! They lie, cheat, smoke in the bathroom, all kinds of things. When I was a prosecutor, I would know that a first offender wouldn’t get the same treatment as a fifth time offender. In real life with children, it’s very hard to draw the line. Being a teacher provided me the opportunities to not be so harsh and impunitive. It allowed me to acquire the ability to easily forgive, sympathize, and to give people grace. For them to learn from their mistakes.”
Genevieve Allard (Part 2)
“When I was working as a prosecutor and became pregnant, I didn’t have much resources or help to balance my career life and my life as a mom. I felt like I was screaming into the wind. I kept telling them ‘You trained me for 10 years- I mean I went to the FBI for training in forensics, took all kinds of courses, went through many trials, and you still aren’t paying me enough for me to take care of my family.’ I knew I was a public servant so money was never what I was going for. I still told them I was willing to stay if I could work part-time or job share with somebody else. It never worked out.
Funny thing is that, about 3 years ago, I bumped into the prosecutor that I resigned under– the man I asked for a part time job and said no. We exchanged small greetings and he asked me what I was doing these days. I told him I am now a law teacher. He was then astonished that I stopped being a lawyer with the talent I had. I couldn’t keep it in anymore and exclaimed, ‘It was you! I quit because of you! I wanted to stay but you couldn’t give me a part-time job!’ I knew he got embarrassed but he didn’t say much. I wasn’t trying to make him mad or anything, but I just had to say it at that moment. When I was getting to my car, he came running to me. He genuinely and profoundly apologized. He didn’t want to make excuses for his actions but he did say as the way society and the world was back then, he didn’t take this as a serious matter as it should have been taken. He knows that he should have accommodated to my needs and that his choice back then was wrong. I appreciated that.
When my husband told me about this woman working in his office that got pregnant, I told him ‘don’t you dare tell me she has to come back full-time. Don’t do that to her.’ He turned to his employee and asked what she wanted. They then calculated the amount of money she would need and calculated she would have to work 4 days a week. A couple of times a month, she would be able to work at home. I thought this was pretty impressive to be able to happen 15 years ago.
I think that many changes happen not because I or many other women go through it and tell our story. We need allies. We need your brother, your father, your uncle, or someone in a powerful position to be able to say what’s right and wrong. More people need to acknowledge talented women in the workforce and fight for them.”
Sara Genena
“I used to play on the boy’s ice hockey team just a few months ago. Now I represent the first ever Egyptian Women’s Ice Hockey Team. But I am also the same person I have always been. I have always taken school seriously and I am the competitive person I always have been. I just knew that when the opportunity arose to join the Egyptian Women’s Ice Hockey Team, it was a chance to make history and show that women can excel in any sport just as well as men. Being a part of Egypt’s first women’s ice hockey team is a tremendous honor and responsibility. We're not just playing a sport; we're breaking stereotypes and inspiring girls across Egypt and beyond to pursue their dreams, no matter how unconventional they may seem. Being part of this team means I have the opportunity to make a difference, to pave the way for future generations of female athletes. While some may view me simply as a girl, I want to empathize that my achievements—both academically and athletically—were achieved because I am the girl I am today.”
Alicia Park
“‘덕업일치’(duk-dam-il-chi) represents myself very accurately. It basically means I love my job. Areas like culture, music, movie, and subculture have always been my favorite. I think my interest subconsciously led me to major in fashion design in college. But at that time, I was worried about my future and career after college, and always wondered if this major will allow me to get a stable job. Now I know that I have chosen the job that makes me happy. It is very unusual for someone to like their job, but here I am. But I have to admit that it is not easy to be a working woman in 2024. In Korea, my generation is generally the first generation to ever have highly educated women in the workforce and in society. Because of this, people think that women are now granted the equal opportunity as men in workforces- but that is not true. There’s many male CEOs, COOs, or CIOs but rarely any females that have gone up to higher positions. Even as myself, I have to work with more men than women. They don’t sexually abuse me or even view me differently because of my gender. I also admire them for the amount of sacrifice they make for their careers. But there are times when I can feel the difference between me and my male co-workers. I do not want to spend my weekend watching soccer or going on hikes or playing golf with them. Some women might like it, but I don’t. I don’t understand why they automatically think that I will have the same hobbies as them. It might seem that I am making a big deal out of working with my male co-workers or executives, but it really does make a difference mentally to have at least a few female co-workers. Nonetheless, nothing will make me stop the job that I have.”
Joohyun Kang
“When I first came to the US to pursue my dream of being an artist, many people asked me why I would choose such a hard job. It was probably because I am not only a woman but also an Asian. In the field of art in the US, Americans were naturally in a much easier position to establish themselves and exhibit their work as artists than people of other ethnicities. I am sure it was like that for other fields as well. But this was also 32 years ago when I just came to the US. Now, things have gotten better and I wouldn’t have given up my dreams anyways. I always had a belief that art would always be with me throughout my life. And as I became an artist, I was able to express my own instincts and essence correctly, and I knew this job was the best fit for me. Thankfully, people now look at it as special when minorities like Asians or women approach art. Moments when I communicate with many people while exhibiting at my art exhibition are the most satisfying and proudest moments for me. I also feel proud every time I realize that I am living as an artist every day and that I am rooted in the routine that I have set for myself. Artists do not have a fixed deadline, so no one knows when they will stop. So, since I do not have to work on my work forever, I think this makes me constantly doubt and question my sense of existence as an artist, and I think that is really important.”
Sang-Hee Lee
“Lee Sanghee & Friends Orchestra first started with two members who only shared the same passion for music and a vision for a better world. Today, I am incredibly proud to say that we have grown into an orchestra of 107 members. Our ensemble includes a diverse group of individuals, ranging from first-grade elementary school students to the 93-year-old Chairman of Chongwoo Trading. This incredible journey has been made possible not only by our dedication to supporting vaccine research but also by our collective goal: a world where no one suffers from contagious diseases. As I progressed into the 20th year of the Lee Sanghee & Friends Orchestra with IVI (International Vaccine Institute), I was able to find immense joy and a deep sense of duty in leading this orchestra. I learned the true meaning of donation– not just in financial terms but in giving our time, effort, talent, and passion towards a greater cause. I hope that our performances resonate with our audience and inspire them in the same way this journey has inspired me. Our music is not just a performance; it’s evidence of our commitment to a world free from suffering due to contagious diseases.”
Jennifer Trubac
“When I was young I was so shy that I wanted to I blend into the walls with its color. I wanted no one to be able to see me. I wanted to be blended in with everything else. I wanted to be unnoticeable. Later on, I decided I wanted to help people not be shy the way I was. With that one goal, I decided to major in secondary education…even though now I realize it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. I once again wanted to attempt something that was totally outside of my comfort zone after I became a teacher for 8 years at the Academy of the Holy Angels. I wanted to become closer to my students– I wanted to become a counselor. Being a teacher was amazing until I wasn’t always helping but adding to the stress of my students through constant assignments and tests. I hated that. I just wanted to be a person that students felt comfortable being around no matter what kind of student they were. I was basically an introvert attempting a not-so-introverted career. I am always surprised that I, who is so shy and has health anxiety, am doing this job. Now I make my own schedule, I can speak my own thoughts, and I feel more in control of myself. I enjoy connecting with students and if I could do anything to make somebody smile, I will do it. I have no regrets about becoming a counselor. A person who once wanted to blend it now helps students stand out. I know I made the right choice when students tell me they are glad they can talk to me anytime they want.”
Amaris Hiatt
“Being a student-athlete can be hard. You can’t procrastinate because there is no way out once you start procrastinating. But Track is what really got me out of Covid. It allowed me to meet and socialize with people after such a long time in quarantine. Now, my life revolves around track- in a good way. It shaped my lifestyle, my social life, what I eat, my sleep schedule, and more. I participate in track as a big team, not as an individual. I constantly learn from others and strive to be the best version of myself.”
