Staff Spotlight:
In honor of Women's History Month, we want to lift up the voices and victories of women. We asked PPC researchers and staff to share their advice for young women today. During the month of March, we will be sharing their replies. Today, we spoke with Senior Research Manager Janell Walther, whose work focuses on helping communicate complex ideas to publics and policymakers to improve decision-making.
Q&A with Janell Walther
- What advice do you have for young women today?
Learning how to ask questions and express curiosity about others’ work and opinions can help you grow professionally and personally. I like to have a question in my back pocket when I go to any meeting, and while people are speaking, I come up with at least one follow-up question that I’d like to learn more about.
- What is one way your life/work has been impacted by women?
Seeing yourself in leadership is important. I remember the impression of seeing women in leadership roles and hearing them speak at events as a teen and envisioning myself in those roles. I continue to look for women leaders in community, state, and national roles.
- Can you think of a specific project you have worked on that directly impacts women?
The 2020 pandemic and economic impact has been referred to by some as a “She-cession” in part because many women had to step away from the workforce due to impacted childcare and school. I work on several projects that focus on the importance of affordable, high-quality early childhood care and education, and I think the pandemic taught us how integral childcare and education are to all facets of our lives.