Meet Our Alumni: Allyson Harper ’14
by Kendra R. Parker
Allyson Harper graduated with a double major in Women’s and Gender Studies and Psychology. Allyson discusses one of her most formative experiences: organizing the 2014 Gender Issues Conference on Hope’s campus.
What are you doing now? What paths led you to this point?
I am currently the Lead Shelter Advocate at the Center for Women in Transition in Holland, MI, and I have been with the agency since October 2016. While at Hope College, I interned with CWIT in 2013. After my time at the internship, I knew I wanted to work with survivors of domestic violence. I was employed in with some other social work organizations which provided me with the experience necessary to be well-equipped for my current position with CWIT.
So, you majored in WGS. How did your degree shape you?
I double majored in WGS and Psychology, but honestly, it was not until my senior year of the WGS program that I realized my passion for women’s and gender concerns. I had the opportunity to attend the National Women Studies Association (NWSA) conference in 2013. NWSA was an eye-opener. It made me realize I could make a career out of this work—the interdisciplinarity of Women’s and Gender Studies—and NWSA encouraged me to look into furthering my education with the possibility of a Master’s degree in WGS. Though I have not yet pursued a Masters in Women’s and Gender Studies, I am thankful NWSA; it shaped my approaches to my life and career.
WGS led me to so many of my passions. While at Hope, I was part of the Women’s Issues Organization (WIO),* and I coordinated multiple Domestic Violence Awareness events during October, which is nationally recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
But the most memorable impact was in 2014 when I organized a day-long Gender Issues Conference for a senior project. The “Gender Issues Conference” (GIC) was a six-hour long conference on Hope’s campus.
The GIC included presentations from a variety of groups focusing on sexual violence, pregnancy, and disordered eating. Songs Against Slavery presented on sex trafficking; representatives from Holland’s Center for Women in Transition (CWIT) presented on sexual assault; Planned Parenthood representatives facilitated a workshop on organizing and activism, and representatives from Lakeshore Pregnancy Center (currently named Positive Options) facilitated an information session on pregnancy resources. Additionally, representatives from Hope’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) presented on stress, eating disorders, and a healthy diet. The conference ended with a screening of Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising’s Image of Women (2010), a documentary focusing on the dehumanizing depictions of women in advertisements.
What advice would you give to current WGS students or students considering WGS as a major or minor?
Use this opportunity to gain as much experience as you can. It will make all the difference. Reach out, go to the events, and just participate. You won’t regret it.
If you could teach any WGS course, what would you title it, who is one person you would include on the syllabus, and why?
I would love to teach a course on domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. I don’t have specific people I would include, but it is important to me to include the voices and perspectives of survivors.
What is a WGS book you read–recently or not-so-recently–that you would call your “favorite”? Why?
My most recent favorite is the Hulu documentary Minding the Gapon Hulu. It from the point of view of an adult who witnessed domestic violence and was abused in his home growing up. My other favorite is Killing Us Softly IV.
*The Women’s Issues Organization was rebranded to the Women’s Empowerment Organization (WEO) in 2016.
Are you a WGS alum who would like to be featured on our blog? Email us! wgs AT hope DOT edu