Throughout March, SUNY Jamestown Community College paid tribute to the many trailblazing women who serve its campuses in celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. The college highlighted several women in senior leadership roles through a social media campaign.
Among those featured included the college’s executive director of human resources, Nickey Riczker, a first-generation college graduate, who comes from “a long line of very strong women … whose strength became even more apparent as they fearlessly faced challenge and adversity.”
“These women paved the way for me to be the first person in my family to attend and graduate from college and to forge a career in the business field, a field that has typically been dominated by men,” said Riczker, who also serves as the college’s chief diversity officer.
“As such, it is truly a privilege for me to serve in a leadership role at JCC and I am proud to be a part of an institution of higher learning where my efforts can support those who shape the lives of our students and help them to build the foundation upon which their futures will be built,” she said.
Riczker explained that 65% of Jamestown Community College’s workforce is women, while 63% of the student body is also female.
“Women are represented in every division and in every department at JCC,” she said. “They are also represented at all levels including leadership, faculty, professionals, paraprofessional/technical, and service workers.”
The women featured on the college’s social media channels serve in various leadership roles and have spent their careers helping the college progress while also serving as role models for the next generation of women leaders at Jamestown Community College.
According to its website, Women’s History Month is a collaboration between the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.
International Women's Day is a global day, marked on March 8, celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements and rally for women's equality.
To view the social media campaign, visit facebook.com/sunyjcc.