"My father was very forward looking. He believed that women had enough sense to do whatever they wanted if they tried. So he encouraged us rather than discouraged you from trying to do things."
Female Carolina students, 1919- NC Collection
Female trailblazers in academia and the professional world agree that they couldn’t have done it alone. All of these women give credit to friends, family, siblings, parents, or spouses for providing them with the inspiration and support to follow their aspirations and continue on their paths even when the going got tough.
Some women point out their parents or grandparents as being particularly influential or inspiring to them. These forebears raised their daughters to believe that they could do anything to which they set their mind as long as they were willing to work hard for it. Supportive family members provided encouragement and inspiration even when they knew their young women were undertaking difficult paths.
Other women point out the support and motivation they received from spouses, neighbors, co-workers, employers, and other female professionals while they were pursuing higher education or a career. A woman’s circle of friends and acquaintances could help her rise above the difficulties and doubts she encountered as a pioneer in academia, the law, government, or other careers.
"If I had not had good friends who were full time wives and mothers, I couldn't have done it. They were the key, in addition to my own family who were always supportive, who could always step in....It was those non-working women that made it possible for me to study, to go to school, to work full-time."
