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Raised By Women, Chapter 1: Dr. Sandra Combs

I’m overjoyed to see Dr. Sandra Combs walk through the door of Roebling Point Books & Coffee on a rainy Sunday morning in February. I’m good friends with her whole vivacious family, and while she stands in line for a large coffee, we gush about her daughter Emily, who just found out she’ll be having a baby girl this June. We make our way to the comfy armchairs in the next room, and as she begins to tell me about her journey – sharing her gift as a speech pathologist, finding a home in Covington, and more – her bracelets jingle like a soundtrack to her words.

Education, Features, Health + Wellness, Science + TechKiersten WonesMay 13, 2018Features

F*** It. I’ll Do It: Interrupting the Narrative

Many times as an after school coordinator, “F*** it. I’ll do it” meant interrupting the usual narrative. When I had a group of third grade girls who prided themselves on being mean girls, it meant bringing them together in a sister circle; showing them the beauty and worth in themselves and one another; and teaching them how to build and sustain friendships with one another that could last lifetimes.

EducationWomen of Cincy StaffMarch 15, 2018Celebrate Black Stories

Christa Hyson: ‘Keeping my sunshine.’

Christa Hyson had worked in public health for years, navigating government, health statistics, and community needs. But when she moved back to Cincinnati, she was struck by the devastation that the opioid epidemic was causing on her hometown. She started researching prevention programs and discovered a curriculum called HOPE (Health and Opioid Abuse Prevention Education).

Health + Wellness, Features, Education, Outreach + AdvocacySuzanne WilderFebruary 26, 2018Features

Portraits of Mentorship: Mandy Shoemaker & Alesha Hamilton on Giving Life a Shot

With only one semester of her undergraduate education to go before heading to law school, Alesha has been lucky to find not only role models, but also important friendships among advisors and other students. Mandy, her University of Cincinnati Honors Program advisor, finds inspiration among Alesha and other students who push themselves outside of their comfort zones. The two have grown together over the past few years and helped each other in ways they wouldn’t have imagined, expanding the typical roles of the mentor-mentee relationship.

Education, From the Residents, Resident Capstones, Outreach + AdvocacyEllen HugginsDecember 20, 2017

Portraits of Mentorship: Dr. Jane Sojka & Hannah Fereshtehkhou on Confidence in Selling Yourself

After a long Tuesday proctoring a final marketing exam for the semester, Dr. Sojka and Hannah met with me in Dr. Sojka’s office. Their motto is that “everybody sells something,” especially themselves and it is important to build the confidence to do so. Despite the quiet halls of the Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati, they remained lively in their conversations – although that could have been the sugar from the cookies Dr. Sojka offered us.

Education, From the Residents, Resident Capstones, Outreach + AdvocacyEllen HugginsDecember 18, 2017

Portraits of Mentorship: Dr. Karen Bankston & Sara Burke on Nurses' Impact

In the week leading up to Thanksgiving, Dr. Karen Bankston and Sara Burke of the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing squeezed me into their busy schedules. The enthusiasm they carried about their impressive careers and hope for the future was felt throughout the room. “It’s not your mother’s nursing school,” Dr. Bankston says as she reflects on the differences of nursing education through the years. While some aspects have stayed the same, both of these women find their passion in driving change beyond hospital walls.

Portraits of Mentorship

Many of us are lucky enough to name 10 to 15 role models that have shaped who we are today. Our educational years mold us greatly in our future professions. Those in the beginning stages of their careers need attention and interest from those around to help them in shaping their goals and reaching their full potential. Through this series, I was able to focus on students pursuing different goals, personally and professionally, to discover what makes the role of mentorship in their lives so special.

Education, From the Residents, Resident CapstonesEllen HugginsDecember 11, 2017

Throwback Thursday with Women of Cincy

Since Women of Cincy began in January, we've highlighted 14 amazing Cincinnati women and expanded our team to include almost 20 writers, photographers, and volunteers. Over the next two weeks, we'll be revisiting some of our very first Women of Cincy.

Libby Hunter: The Woman Behind WordPlay

All of us can see problems in our neighborhoods. Many of us will talk about those problems. But few of us throw our lives toward fixing them as Libby Hunter did when she co-founded WordPlay Cincy, a Northside-based nonprofit organization that fights poverty through creativity and communication.

Features, EducationHillary CopseyApril 20, 2017Features

Real Talk with Mrs. Mahaffey

Robyn Mahaffey met with Women of Cincy over a delicious blueberry muffin at the North College Hill Perkins last Sunday morning. She’s a woman of equal parts grace and grind, who gives everything she has to her family of five and her eighth-grade students.

Features, EducationKiersten WonesApril 6, 2017Features, Celebrate Black Stories

Making America Read Again: A Conversation with Hillary Copsey

We met with Hillary Copsey, a Norwood resident and journalist who recently founded the newsletter Make America Read Again, at Listermann Brewing Company. We grabbed a few pale ales and a ginger beer and chatted about developing a culture of reading, raising bookworms, and more.

Features, Education, Arts + CultureKiersten WonesFebruary 18, 2017Features