Superwoman Lives, (at Least in My Head): Reflections of a Mid-Level Professional in Student Affairs.

Being from a typical African-American descent, my family struggled through a history tarnished by the legacy of slavery and racism in America. Many of these personal family stories of struggle I received through an oral tradition. One memory of particular interest that I have is of my grandfather warning all of his grandchildren about "not letting the man hold us down" and "always strive to be the best, even if that means giving 150%." My grandfather instilled in me at an early age the expectation to persevere in greatness despite disparity. Being the eldest of two daughters and a Navy "brat," I learned early in life the importance of discipline, hierarchy, and hard work. I was expected to follow through on the assigned task, whether it was cleaning my room, graduating from college with a doctorate degree, or volunteering for a cleanup. IfI had to describe an image to represent success, I often picture Superwoman; beautiful and Black, striking and strong in stature with gorgeous, long hair and a red flowing red cape. Superwoman is able to do anything. All she has to do is "Simply Do It." Superwoman is a high-powered executive with a wonderful family life. Since graduating in May 1994 with my master's degree in student personnel in higher education, I have achieved many triumphs, both professionally and personally. Much of my professional life was spent in residence life and student activities on three campuses, Wake Forest University, Nova Southeastern University, and University of Florida. At each school, I made valuable contributions not only to the institution, but to the students I served. My work in many areas of student affairs allowed me to develop skills in program management, program development, and organizational change. It is my hope that these skills will assist me in my goal of becoming a vice president of student affairs. I knew when I started my career as a Black woman in higher education that there was an unwritten expectation that I would shoulder multiple roles and responsibilities. The "double whammy" of gender and race creates problems on both the professional and personal levels. Many researchers on this topic report that Black women in academics must contend with the professional pressures associated with working in a historically White, upper middle-class, male-dominated profession, while also attempting to balance the demands of life outside the professional domain. It would be correct to say that I shouldered each of these responsibilities without truly examining which ones were responsibilities I wanted. Two years ago, I thought I had successfully maintained a home life which consisted of a nine year marriage and two beautiful boys, ages six and four. I believed that I had a balanced life. Without much difficulty, I successfully navigated from an entry-level position in housing to a relatively large mid-level position in student activities while also having a family. I believed I was the embodiment of the archetype Black Superwoman. I could do anything and everything at the speed of light. My motto was "Just Do It!" With those thoughts in mind, I continued my education to earn my doctorate because I knew that I was Superwoman. As I began my doctorate as Superwoman, I had a husband, children, and a career. Unlike other women acquaintances, I thought I had ample time and energy to devote to all three. In my mind, my husband was never neglected, my children were well-behaved and well-dressed at all times, the house was reasonably well kept, I had a social life, and my career was in high gear. I even believed that I had extra time which I devoted to being an adjunct faculty member, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses. To anyone who asked me how I had time to do all that and go back to school, my patent answer was, "I just do it!" Ironically, the past two years have taught me something entirely different. Even Superwoman cannot do it all. …