As we step into Womxn’s Month, we celebrate the resilience, achievements, and impact of womxn who have shaped our campus and beyond. This month is a time to honor the legacy of those who came before us, uplift the voices of those making change today, and empower the future generations of leaders, advocates, and visionaries.
To help you navigate this month of reflection, celebration, and action, we are excited to introduce our Womxn’s Month Guide—a resource highlighting key events, initiatives, and the remarkable womxn who make UCI, UCI.
Whether you are looking for ways to engage in critical conversations, celebrate community, or learn more about the contributions of womxn on campus, this guide will lead the way.
We invite you to explore, connect, and celebrate with us throughout the month. Together, we continue to build a more equitable and empowered future for all.
In community,
MEET THE ADVISORY BOARD
Jessica Jahja (she/her) Community Empowerment Student Assistant Womxn’s Center for Success
Liz Chrastil (she/her)
Alicen Bosley (she/her) Program Coordinator Womxn’s Center for Success
Monica Schnapp (she/her) Assistant Director Sorority & Fraternity Life
Dr. Joanna Hernandez (she/her)
Veronica
(she/her)
Illiana Loera (she/her)
Jordan Aoki (she/her)
CALENDAR CALENDAR
WEEK NINE
The Womxn Behind the Event
Tell us a little bit about EmpowerUS Summit, how did it come to be and how have you shaped it into what it is today?
EmpowerUS Summit is a campus-wide event for students, faculty, and staff. This engaging summit event provides attendees an opportunity to build community connections, learn holistic well-being skills, and explore various personal and professional development, and empowerment topics.
I inherited the summit when I became the Program Coordinator at the Center in 2020. March 2021 was the first EmpowerUS Summit I planned and hosted. It was hosted on an online platform due to COVID-19 Pandemic which required me to learn the backend and frontend of this new platform. With my dream big ideas of wanting every attendee to leave the summit feeling empowered,
I created a new and innovative summit experience. It became a conference style event that kicked off Womxn’s Month for UC Irvine. Today with the help of colleagues around campus known as the EmpowerUS Summit Committee, we are able to bring to life my dream big ideas that include a keynote speaker, concurrent workshop sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities all in one day. We pride ourselves in finding and hiring womxn-owned companies and facilitators to the summit for the benefit of our UC Irvine community.
Fun Fact: Erika’s go-to hype song is We Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus!
About Erika Cortez, M. Ed
Erika Cortez holds a Master of Education in Educational Counseling from USC and currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Womxn’s Center for Success at UC Irvine. In this role, she educates, guides, and mentors students by providing resources and knowledge to support current and future leaders in breaking barriers and overcoming challenges.
She inspires curiosity and passion in students, helping them invest in their futures. Her work also involves project management, program execution, budget management, marketing, outreach, and collaboration with campus and community partners to create impactful initiatives. Passionate about community building for students and staff and student success, she blends strategy, outreach, and creativity to create inclusive spaces for growth and empowerment, such as, EmpowerUS Summit.
What is your favorite part about leading EmpowerUS Summit? Is there a key takeaway that you have gained through your experiences planning the Summit?
My favorite part about leading the EmpowerUS Summit is the ability to bring leadership opportunities to my fellow colleagues around campus that commit to the committee. My committee members always have different ideas and knowledge they want to bring to the UC Irvine community, and the opportunity to lead them to create their visions for this successful summit is always fulfilling.
A key takeaway that I have gained through my experience planning the summit is that my big dream ideas and visions will never align perfectly. I’ve learned how to navigate the hurdles and adapt to different solutions when my vision gets back tracked due to unforeseen circumstances. I have also learned that there is no one way of making your ideas come to life, it’s about finding the right person who says yes to you because they trust your vision.
As a womxn who makes it happen at UC Irvine, how do you hope to continue uplifting and supporting womxn at UC Irvine and beyond?
I will continue uplifting and supporting womxn at UC Irvine and beyond by inspiring, influencing, and cheering them on at every step of their journey. I believe in celebrating and amplifying the incredible work womxn are doing, making sure their successes are seen, heard, and valued. It’s important to me to create spaces where womxn feel empowered to take up space, own their achievements, and thrive unapologetically.
Additionally, I am committed to standing in solidarity with those facing systemic barriers, ensuring they have the support, resources, and advocacy needed to navigate and overcome the challenges in their path. I will continue to build a culture where womxn rise together to create lasting change and feel encouraged to be agents of change in their communities and beyond.
Liz Beth Sanchez
University Registrar Student Services Specialist
How do you hope to continue uplifting and supporting womxn at UCI and beyond?
I hope to continue uplifting and supporting womxn by serving as a mentor, advocate, and source of inspiration. Just as university leaders once poured into me, I want to pour into students and colleagues—so they too can pay it forward.
In today’s social climate, community is more important than ever. I strive to be a listener, a supporter, and a champion for those around me, ensuring that womxn at UC Irvine and beyond feel empowered, valued, and encouraged to reach their full potential.
Please tell us a little bit about you!
How did you end up being where you are today?
I am an artist, eager to tell truthful and meaningful stories. I grew up in several different places but primarily Boston, MA and Vancouver, Canada. I studied English at Harvard University and enjoy lifting weights, spending time at the ocean, and playing Fortnite with my husband, Liam, in my downtime.
What inspired you to write Quit Bitchin’?
There were three distinct threads of inspiration for QUIT BITCHIN’. The first came in my graduate acting training during which I discovered that I struggled to fully embody rage I could not get angry. The second thread was spending time in different rural communities across the U.S. last year. While there, I visited several liquor stores and laundromats, and these liminal spaces fascinated me. I wondered what they would look like onstage. Then, the third thread was re-reading cononical ancient narratives of female rage like the stories of Medea, Antigone, and Jael. These three strands came together to create the first draft of QUIT BITCHIN’ when I asked myself, “What if moder-day versions of Medea, Antigone, and Jael met one another in a laundromat in rural America, able to fully express their rage? Could the endings of their stories be different?”
In what ways have you experienced community here at UCI?
My MFA cohort is a very important community for me. We spend all day together in classes and in rehearsals for shows, so that cohort has certainly been a steadfast community for me here at UCI. Doing a variety of theater productions through the year also has built my community. I have been so fortunate to work with fantastic artists here and have built a supportive network from them. I have also found a beautiful community in Professor Ariyan Johnson’s Hip Hop 1 class shout out to the cypher!
How do you see your identity shaping your future?
Being a female artist is more difficult. (Read “Of Woman Born” by Adrienne Rich if you need to be convinced of that fact.) I have such a fantastic support system (named Liam!) who actively works with me so that my career aspirations as an artist are possible. And my identity as a woman will continue to shape my work it is impossible for it not to! and I’m excited by that fact.
Do you have a womxn artist (director, playwriter, author, etc.) who has been influential to you and your identity?
SO MANY! Our paths are paved by those who came before us. But to summarize— I am inspired by the womxn artists and professors at UCI like Juliette Carrillo, Cynthia Bassham, Annie Loui, Beth Lopes, and Tara Rodman. I have also been deeply influenced by the writing of Adrienne Rich and Virginia Woolf.
WITHTHEUCILIBRARIES WITHTHEUCILIBRARIES
JodyMargolis, MS, RDN
Nutrition Programs Manager - UCI Student Wellness & Health Promotion
Who are the womxn that have inspired or supported you throughout your journey, and how have they influenced your path?
My mom worked until she was seventy years old and taught me the importance of honesty, integrity, working hard, and how to be a loving and supportive parent. My twin sister worked as a collegiate dietitian at what is now Cal Poly Humboldt and has also been a successful business person always lending me solid advice and support both personally and professionally.
My daughter continues to inspire me on her own career path as she moved out of state for college, studied abroad in Spain and now lives in New York City following her passion to work in sports. I remain inspired by these womxn in my family who aren’t afraid of change, rise above adversity, and celebrate life to it’s fullest. Many of our students also inspire me as first-gen. college students but also by granting me the honor and privilege to help them as they find the courage to share their herstory around food, body image, food insecurity, etc.
Please tell us a little bit about you!
How did you end up being where you are today?
My name is Nikki Tom and I am 21 years old from Fresno, California. I am a middle child and have two brothers. I have been playing basketball since the age of 5, and I have loved all the memories and experiences that have come with it. Therefore, I ended up being where I am today because of my parents. They taught me how to work hard and persevere through difficulties. They also have supported me every step of the way, in which they came to all of my games, they drove me to every practice, and they ultimately put my needs above theirs. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish everything and reach my goals of playing at the collegiate level without all their love and support. My family is what drives me to be my best self!
What is your favorite part about being involved with womxn’s sports at UCI?
My favorite part about being involved with women's sports at UCI is definitely all the memories that I have made with my teammates. For instance, some of the stories that we have from practices, travel trips, and games will only be shared between us. I have created friendships with what I would call my "sisters", and they have been with me through every success and failure.
How has your identity shaped your experiences here at UCI?
My identity has shaped my experiences at UCI because it has provided me with opportunities to be a role model for all the young girls that come to the games. I always want to showcase my best self and do everything I can to inspire those young girls to strive for their goals.
How have you experienced community at UCI?
I've experienced community at UCI when other women's sports such as women's soccer, volleyball, and cross country, have come to our games to show their support for us. It has been so amazing to build these relationships with other female athletes, and to go to each other's games to bring that energy. It just highlights how involved and supportive the women's athletic community is. We bring each other up and really want each sport to do their best!
How do you see your identity shaping your future?
I can see my identity shaping my future because it has shown me that women are capable of anything and if we really want it, then we can accomplish it. It is ultimately all about building a supportive community around you, and persevering past the hardships and inequalities.
