Women’s History Month ends with symposium

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Alexandria Mosness
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  "Writing Women Back into History" was the theme for this year's Women's History Month, and Ramstein Air Base was one of many places throughout the world to honor women.

The Women's History Month Committee sponsored many events, including a memorial run for Jessica Lovesweet, nutrition classes, a breakfast and closed out with a women's symposium.

"Women's History Month means honoring those women in our lives who have made a difference and recognizing the outstanding contributions women have made to society," said Master Sgt. Cynthia Peterson, 86th Communications Squadron wing assurance manager and chairperson for the WHM committee. "This year's theme is important because we are focusing on women's accomplishments that have been previously omitted from history."

The committee worked hard before and throughout the month to provide the Ramstein community with facts they might not have known about some significant women.

"It's important to remember women of the past," said Lisa Mijares, 86th Mission Support Squadron chief of staffing and customer service and committee member for WHM. "It gives inspiration to the future of the possibilities. Where would we be without the accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Sally Ride? These women, many who lived in turbulent times, had strong convictions and ambitions. Their hard work paved the road for future generations of women."

And while the month was an opportunity to gain knowledge, it was also a time to honor the memory of women. The 2nd annual LOVESWEET memorial 5K Run celebrated the life of Tech. Sgt. Jessica Sweet, 435th Communication Squadron supply Airman, who lost the battle to Acute Myeloid Leukemia last year.

"I'm thrilled we chose to honor the life of Sergeant Sweet by holding memorial run," Sergeant Peterson said. "We wanted to honor Jessica's contributions to the Air Force and to the Kaiserslautern Military Community."

The run raised $3,000 that will go toward the LOVESWEET foundation, and it was just one event in March where men and women came together to honor the lives of women.

Closing out the festivities of the month was the symposium where topics from health to finance to the big question of life and work balance was discussed.

"My favorite project was the symposium," Ms. Mijares said. "This was an opportunity for women to showcase activities and topics that are endearing to the empowerment of women."

Empowerment was one of the many underlying themes throughout the month, and it all starts with the first person they looked up to. And while to some the month was about honoring the famous women of the past, to others it was the everyday women who were their heroes.

"I have looked up to my mom my whole life," said Staff Sgt. Julian Garcia, 86th CS wing information assurance technician and committee member for WHM. "She has shown me we can achieve anything if we have the desire to do whatever it takes. My mom taught me hard work pays off in the end. She worked full time and was a full-time student while I was in grade school. She made some very tough sacrifices. Yet in the end, we greatly appreciate how determined she was to provide my brother and I the opportunities we were given."