Gini WestApril 17, 2008AP Style Newswriting Sample: Profile Interview – Teresa Aguinaldo

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Finding a safe place: Life experiences inspire creation of Women’s Center

When Teresa Aguinaldo discovered that CLC did not offer support services for

women, she was determined to start a program, knowing how important

those services had been to her personally when she was a student.

Teresa Aguinaldo started freshman year in college at the University of

Missouri – Columbia. At age 18 she was a single mother, bringing her one-

year-old child to school with her each day.

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Aguinaldo finished her undergraduate degree and went on to get a Master’s

she said, “because of the support I got from my friends, my family and the

Women’s Center at Columbia.”

She is now an instructor who has taught English and Communication Arts at

College of Lake County since 1991. In addition to teaching classes at the

College, Aguinaldo is the Faculty Advisor for the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and

Transgender (LGBT) community at CLC and Coordinator for the CLC Women’s

Center.

She married briefly, divorced, and is now re-married. The little boy she took

with her to school when in college is now 25 years old. She has two more

sons, age 21 and 11, and a granddaughter, age 4.

Aguinaldo founded the Women’s Center at CLC in 2002 after taking a one-

year sabbatical to study women’s centers in other community colleges and 4-

year universities across the county.

“When I was in college I was different from the general population,” she

said. “I was a single mother, I didn’t want a sorority and I wasn’t in the

dorms. My life was very different from other people’s lives at this big

university. Thank God for the Women’s Center because I might have felt

alone enough that I wouldn’t want to be there.”

The Women’s Center at CLC is open to all students but provides special

support for single mothers, returning female students, displaced

homemakers, nontraditional career-seekers, victims of rape/sexual abuse

and domestic violence, women in cultural transition and

gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender students.

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Services include counseling, networking and referral, workshops, and

support/discussion groups as well as sponsorship of educational programs

such as those offered in connection with Women’s History month in March.

The Center also works with external outreach agencies in the community.

The Women’s Center library has books, tapes, and pamphlets on diverse

topics such as food pantries, NAMI of Lake County (Mental Illnesses and

Brain Disorders), emergency shelters, HealthReach for the medically

underserved, LaCasa, Planned Parenthood, and more. Pamphlets are free,

and other materials can be checked out from the library.

Aguinaldo says the service that is used most often is the Emergency Financial

Fund.

“The majority of students that we serve are low income,” she said. “When

you’re a student and a single mother and you have 3 or 4 children to raise

and support, it just comes with the territory.”

Resources are an ongoing struggle as the number of students needing this

service continues to grow. The Emergency Fund exists solely from the

generosity of donations. There is no budget from the college for the fund.

According to Aguinaldo, a few people donate regularly, which makes a big

difference.

“But when money is given out, then its gone until someone else makes a

donation,” she said. Over the years money has been provided to assist with

tuition or books, limited passes for the Pace bus system and childcare.

Other Women’s Center services are supported by the college and grant

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money, but are used by only a small percentage of students. The 2006-2007

Annual Report on the Women’s Center shows approximately 400 students

were assisted via phone, e-mail, as drop-ins or by appointment.

Although the number of clients is small, Women’s Center services can be

meaningful to those who seek help.

Aguinaldo spoke of one former student who came to visit her a few weeks

ago. The woman is a nurse now but was having problems as a student and

was married to an abusive man. The Women’s Center provided support in

her time of need.

The former student looked good, but it was a surprise to see that she had

short blonde hair instead of the very long hair that Aguinaldo remembered.

The woman explained that she had on a wig, because in the two years since

she graduated she had developed breast cancer and undergone

chemotherapy.

She was also working her full time job and taking care of her children while

going through a difficult divorce. She is in remission now. But to Aguinaldo,

the wonderful thing was that she came in with a big smile on her face, proud

of what she had accomplished, and having a great attitude.

Aguinaldo said that transformation was not due entirely to the Women’s

Center, but it was great to see how well a former client was doing in her new

life, and possibly benefiting from the help of the Women’s Center.

Aguinaldo’s family has been very supportive of her work with the Center, but

she said that her biggest mentor and partner in running the Women’s Center

for the past 6 years has been Brian Smith.

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Smith has taught a class on feminist philosophy and is on the Women’s

Center advisory board. He is also a regular donator/supporter.

Information about the Women’s Center, as well as other student services in

the B210 area, is provided to students during student orientation.

Students can also learn about the Women’s Center at the CLC web site on

pages designated for community programs, counseling and student services,

or can stop by the Center located in B210.

Aguinaldo suggested that the best training for students who are interested in

working in the field of women’s issues is to get involved in community or

school activities that center on these concerns.

Approximately 35 students volunteered last year.

Students can learn more about the issues and can advocate for those

needing help, while gaining experience towards their career.

Most importantly Aguinaldo said is that the Women’s Center is a safe place

for those who are struggling to find themselves.

“When you’re a new college student and then have all this baggage coming

in to the college and trying to get an education, no place seems safe to you,”

she says. “It all seems scary and new.

“So that idea of a safe place is what we want students to understand.”

Students who want to contact the Women’s Center may do so by calling

(847) 543-2771.

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To donate to the Emergency Financial Fund, please make your check payable

to CLC Women’s Center, and mail to:

CLC Women’s Center19351 W. Washington St.Grayslake, IL 60030

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